By: Abby Altman

On January 20th, the Minnesota Twins traded Luis Arraez to the Miami Marlins in exchange for RHP Pablo Lopez and 2 prospects.

In 2022, Luis Arraez earned the title of AL Batting Champion, finishing the season with a .316 batting average, .375 OBP, and a .795 OPS.

The reigning batting champion has only been traded 3 times ever in the divisional era, last marked 44 years ago when, believe it or not, the Minnesota Twins traded Rod Carew to the Angels just after he won the AL batting title.

Arraez had become a staple in the Twins both on the field and in the dugout, but he had increased his trade value so much over the 2022 season that Minnesota felt it was necessary to get as high of a payout as possible.

In exchange for the major loss on their lineup, Minnesota received RHP Pablo López. In 2022, López had a 3.75 ERA and a 10-10 record. In April of 2022, López was selected as NL Pitcher of the Month, however his accolades appear to end there. He has never been selected to the All-Star Game in his 6 year MLB career.

Before 2023, López had spent his entire career in Miami, and Arraez had spent his entire career with Minnesota.

Since the trade, both players seem to fit in very nicely with their new teams, however it seems one team may have come out on top.

In the first 50 games of the 2023 season, Arraez is leading the MLB with a .387 batting average, and a .437 OBP. Of his 60 hits, just 12 have been for extra bases, but Arraez’s consistency at the plate has put him high on the NL MVP watch.

Defensively, Arraez has spent the majority of his time at 2nd base, where he is fielding 1.000% through 38 games started.

On the other end of the trade, Pablo López has joined the very strong 5-man rotation that Minnesota has been cooking.

Minnesota’s starting 5 is 2nd in the MLB in ERA, with a combined average of 3.21. The Twins starters lead the league in strikeouts with 314, propelled by 75 strikeouts from Pablo López, which is 5th in the MLB.

López has a 3.90 ERA through 10 starts and 60 IP.

While both teams are strongly benefiting from the trade, Minnesota is currently seeing the effects of a lineup without Arraez.

The Twins currently have the 7th lowest batting average in the MLB, and lead the league in strikeouts, with 485.

The Minnesota Twins star players Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton each have their fair share of strikeouts, with Buxton striking out 52 times and Correa striking out 45 times, both in 44 games played. Arraez, on the other hand, has just 9 strikeouts through 45 games.

The 2 prospects Minnesota received in the trade have yet to make an impact on the Twins roster, and will likely remain in the minor leagues for several years.

The “winner” of this trade between the Miami Marlins and Minnesota Twins will likely not be known for several years, but both teams appear to be heavily benefiting from their new acquisitions.