Upgrading the infield offensively should be a priority for the New York Yankees this offseason, and Luis Arraez could be a great fit.
According to ESPN's Kiley McDaniel, Arraez is projected to sign a three-year, $54 million deal.
Arraez has always been a great hitter, even though he does not fit the mold of what makes a hitter great in this era. He has won three batting titles in his career and had a chance to win another this year. He was traded from the San Francisco Giants to the Philadelphia Phillies this year and finished the year with a .310 batting average and a .765 OPS.
His OPS was significantly higher than last year, but the biggest surprise with Arraez is his defensive improvement. He has always been regarded as a weak defender, but this year he posted a plus-12 outs above average at second base. He ranked in the 97th percentile for outs above average.
Arraez would be the opposite of most of the hitters on the Yankees. He does not hit many home runs and rarely ever strikes out. He does not whiff often and uses all fields well.
He is the kind of hitter the Yankees would love to have in front of their heavy hitters like Ben Rice and Aaron Judge. Right now, the Yankees infield has both Ryan McMahon and Anthony Volpe.
Volpe looked better after being called up from the minors after his demotion, and could end up being a solid piece. However, McMahon has been terrible at the plate and needs to be replaced.
The Yankees should not be scared of the $54 million projection for Arraez. They can sign him, trade McMahon and move Volpe to third base. Those moves would put the Yankees in a much better spot offensively than last year.