​How Luis Arraez has been a great trade pickup for Phillies despite poor on-field results originally appeared on The Sporting News.
Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The Philadelphia Phillies made maybe the boldest move of any MLB team at the trade deadline this year, as their addition of Luis Arraez forced Bryson Stott to third base, Alec Bohm to first base, and Bryce Harper to right field.It was a major defensive overhaul to accommodate Arraez, a left-handed hitter, when the Phillies needed a right-handed hitter badly at the time. While there were questions right after the move, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball since that deal.It hasn’t been thanks to Arraez, who’s actually played poorly for Philadelphia. But, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today highlighted, the addition of Arraez has been a positive despite that poor on-field production. How? Well, his new Phillies teammates revealed why.How Luis Arraez has been a positive impact for Phillies despite bad on-field results”There’s no question the impact he’s had on us,” J.T. Realmuto said. “He’s rubbed off on all of us. Obviously, what he does with the bat is impressive, but also what he does in this clubhouse, and reminding us this is a fun game. He’s made a huge difference for us.”These are some glowing remarks from Realmuto on Arraez, but he’s not the only Phillies player to shower the new infielder with praise.Bryson Stott said, “I don’t know if guys are going to do exactly what he does, because I don’t think many people can do what he does. But just being able to see it every day, and the professionalism in his at-bats, you want to be more like him.”Arraez is a completely different kind of hitter than the Phillies have had in recent years, as instead of a slugger seeking out the long ball, striking out often, and chasing pitches out of the strike zone and failing to put the ball in play, Arraez is the opposite.MORE: How Reds’ Sal Stewart has MLB history on his side for NL Rookie of the Year awardThe new Phillies second baseman, who’s been a good defender this season, can get his bat on the ball regardless of pitch location, type, and velocity. He is a pesky hitter and could be a huge asset come the postseason.Kyle Schwarber took note of the “diversity” Arraez adds to the Phillies’ lineup, with his bat-to-ball skills being so elite.However, despite all the glowing praise from his new teammates, Arraez has actually been a negative contributor individually since joining the Phillies.In 27 games with the Phillies, he’s posted -0.3 bWAR with a .280 batting average and a .678 OPS, well below the 3.0 bWAR, .324 average, and .801 OPS he had with the San Francisco Giants.MORE: Phillies’ Jesus Luzardo on track to be best road pitcher in MLB history since 1913Based strictly on his on-field production, Arraez has been a bad trade. However, his teammates acknowledge the change he’s helped spark in Philadelphia, which has led to immense offe