Guardians have golden opportunity to sign former All-Star to multi-year deal 

Every year there are multiple MLB free agents who have to wait until the start of spring training (or later) to sign a deal. Normally that kind of situation is reserved for role players or players who are coming off an injury-hampered year. 

But this year’s free agency class features a player lingering in free agency with a profile unlike any other. 

That player is Luis Arraez, who is a three-time All-Star and batting champion who has been an incredibly productive player no matter where he’s played. 

If this was 2006, Arraez would be one of the most well-known players in the sport and well on his way to a rich, multi-year deal. But instead it’s 2026 and baseball has shifted away from prioritizing his contact-heavy approach. 

And although that shift has hurt Arraez’s long-term earning ability, it could end up working in the Guardians’ favor and provide them with an opportunity to sign him to a discounted deal. 

The Guardians could sign Luis Arraez to a cheap, multi-year deal 

The green flags in Arraez’s profile are as clear as day in that he gets on base like no other. He has a career batting average of .317 (which leads all active players) and he’s posted five career seasons with a batting average of .314 or better. He also has one of baseball’s lowest strikeout rates (lifetime 6.1% strikeout rate), which is a trait the Guardians always prioritize in hitters. 

But the red flags in his profile are just as clear. He hits for almost no power and is a liability on defense, which means he’s a primary designated hitter despite the fact he’s just 28. And while he can get on base, most teams elect to go with a power hitter in the designated hitter spot — not a light-hitting infielder with almost no speed. 

Even though Arraez has led the National League in hits in two straight seasons, he’s pretty one-dimensional (even if he’s the best in baseball at that dimension). 

But that doesn’t mean that he wouldn’t be a good fit with the Guardians, even if it would result in some subsequent rearranging of the teams’ roster. 

While Arraez may seem like the “final boss” version of the contact-heavy approach profile that seemingly every homegrown Guardians prospect has, he’d be the best at it and would provide Cleveland with some much-needed protection around of José Ramírez and Kyle Manzardo. 

And perhaps the biggest reason he could fit on the Guardians’ roster is because of his cheap price tag. And not only would he be cheap for the 2026 season, but it seems like there’s a chance the Guardians could sign to a below market multi-year deal. 

The question of Arraez signing a multi-year deal was floated on Monday by MLB Trade Rumors’ Nick Deeds, who published a story focusing on Arraez’s free agency case. 

While Deeds (and a majority of the voters in the poll on the story) think Arraez would be best off signing a one-year deal and retesting free agency again next season, the Guardians could help Arraez make his decision by offering a two-year deal worth anywhere between $25 and $30 million. 

Although that contract would be expensive (by Cleveland’s standards), Arraez provides enough production to justify that price tag.

The Guardians have enough players with positional versatility to stomach his defensive shortcomings, and are coming off a rough enough season where it would be worth it to roll the dice on him.