The San Diego Padres are on the verge of acquiring second baseman Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins in exchange for reliever Woo-Suk Go, along with prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee, and Nathan Martorella, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan. The deal is pending medical reviews but is expected to be finalized shortly.
This move represents the first major transaction for the Marlins under their new president of baseball operations, Peter Bendix, following the departure of Kim Ng. It could signal the start of a roster overhaul for the Marlins, who have struggled this season, with a record of 9-24 and a minus-59 run differential, ranking among the worst in the majors. This follows their playoff appearance in 2023.
For the Padres, this is another aggressive move orchestrated by A.J. Preller, who has led their front office since 2014. Arraez, a two-time All-Star and batting champion, brings his exceptional contact-hitting skills to San Diego, which is currently 16-18 and 4.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. Arraez is expected to slot into the Padres’ lineup as a designated hitter, but the team plans to rotate players through that position, including Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts, and Manny Machado.
Arraez, 27, has been the Marlins’ top performer, posting a .299 batting average and a .719 OPS in 33 games this season, primarily at second base. He also has experience at first base.
Woo-Suk Go, who came from the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO), signed with the Padres on a two-year deal worth $4.5 million. This season, he has pitched in Double-A, recording a 4.38 ERA in 12 1/3 innings. He didn’t make the Padres’ bullpen out of spring training.
Dillon Head, the Padres’ first-round pick from 2022, is a 19-year-old center fielder currently batting .237 with a .683 OPS and three stolen bases in low-A. Nathan Martorella, a 23-year-old first baseman, is hitting .294 in 23 games at San Antonio. Jakob Marsee, a 22-year-old outfielder, is batting .185 with two home runs in San Antonio. Both Martorella and Marsee were selected in the 2022 draft’s fifth and sixth rounds, respectively.
