SF Giants seem ready to close a trade deadline door that Luis Arraez opened

Around the Foghorn · Jul 21, 2026 16:00 · 3 min read

SF Giants seem ready to close a trade deadline door that Luis Arraez opened — San Francisco, California, USA; San Francisco Giants second baseman Luis Arraez (1) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

SF Giants second baseman Luis Arraez has said he's open to a contract extension but it does not seem the Giants are on the same page.

It has seemed highly likely for a while now that the SF Giants would trade second baseman Luis Arraez at the trade deadline. He has said he’s open to talks about a contract extension but recent reports suggest the Giants have not initiated any extension discussions so they do not even seem to be entertaining going through the door Arraez opened.

The trade route is obviously much easier for San Francisco because it would allow them to put Casey Schmitt at second base and give him a more permanent home after he’s had to bounce around all season long.

Plus, part of the reason why the Giants have had such a bad season is because they committed a ton of money to infielders who are now in decline so extending Arraez would be a pretty risky proposition given that reality.

Still, one can’t deny he’s been a treat to watch this season. His ability to put the ball in play and get hits on a daily basis is so much fun and the fact that he has gone from being seen as a defensive liability to one of the best defenders at second base is a testament to his work ethic.

He’s been exactly what the Giants hoped he would be but sometimes you have to let players go even if it hurts. He’s one of the best trade chips the Giants have and they need to at least get something out of this bad season even if it’s just prospects.

Giants' reluctance to extend Arraez may come at least partly from ownership

It’s interesting that the Giants are not even entertaining the extension route though. This is just speculation, but one wonders if this is an edict from ownership and there is no more appetite for long-term deals after the results of this season or if it’s simply a reflection of reality.

The only way an Arraez extension would make sense is if the Giants traded one of their other infielders. Matt Chapman, Willy Adames, and Rafael Devers will all be nearly impossible to move because of their contracts. The Giants could trade Schmitt but odds are he will be a much more affordable option than Arraez since he’s set to hit arbitration this offseason. San Francisco will probably have Schmitt on a roughly $5 million deal next year while an Arraez deal would probably cost at least $10-15 million per year.

At the end of the day, trading Arraez and moving Schmitt to second has always seemed like an obvious solution. A lot of fans won’t like it since Arraez was an All-Star and has been one of the team’s few bright spots, but the fact that the Giants haven’t started extension talks suggests their mind is made up and Arraez will be dealt.