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By Shaun McAvoy
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Toronto Blue Jays have been one of the most active teams this offseason, but they likely won't pursue one of the top remaining free agents.
After starting the offseason scorching hot, the Blue Jays whiffed on signing Kyle Tucker and lost Bo Bichette to the New York Mets in free agency. Bichette's departure left a big void in Toronto's lineup, and though the team signed Kazuma Okamoto earlier this offseason, adding another bat would help bolster the offense.
One player that is surprisingly still available is San Diego Padres first baseman Luis Arráez. The 28-year-old is a three-time All-Star and three-time batting champion, but has drawn little interest in free agency this offseason. Despite rumors linking the Blue Jays to Arráez, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal believes Toronto likely won't pursue the star infielder.
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“I’m not exactly sure, and it’s almost February, and we have not heard much about him,” Rosenthal said in a video posted to YouTube by "Foul Territory" on Tuesday. “That doesn’t mean things are not going on behind the scenes. But Arráez is a guy who’s the most fascinating free agent in so many ways. Obviously, he has what they call the hit tool; he can hit for average, that is what he does extraordinarily well. The rest of his game is the problem. We are talking defense and power.
“There are spots I can imagine him being. The Giants are still looking for a second baseman. I don’t know, they would want to compromise the infield defense that way. I know you guys have talked about the Blue Jays a little bit, but I don’t see that. It seems like their infield is set. I would imagine he would get a deal somewhere, and it won’t be a very financially lucrative deal; it will be a prove-it-year for him.”
Arráez posted the lowest average of his career this season with a .292, but still led the National League in hits. He continues to be one of the best pure hitters in baseball, but has not been heavily pursued in free agency due to his defense and lack of power.
Though Arráez is great at the plate, the Blue Jays led the league in team average this season and do not need to bring in the three-time batting champion. Toronto is likely done making major moves this offseason, per The Athletic's Mitch Bannon.
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