Luis Arraez is an extremely popular player. This is known. Merely bringing up the idea of trading him can stir up considerable emotion and anger, as I've learned here and on Twitter.
I get it. It's easy to see why he is so popular. Arraez has earned the affinity of casual fans and hardcores alike. His consistent .300 batting averages, in an era where those are increasingly rare, endear him to the more traditional follower. For those who gravitate more toward sabermetrics and advanced stats,
Last week's second installment of my annual top 20 Twins assets rankings included Luis Arraez at #11. I concluded his blurb with what I feel is a fairly obvious reality: Arraez is a prime trade candidate.
The sour reaction to that idea hints at how such a move would be widely received, regardless of the strategic logic behind it.
Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports