The San Francisco Giants traded star infielder Luis Arraez to the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday morning.
Luis Arraez walks off the field during a San Francisco Giants game. Santiago Mejia/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
While San Francisco was expected to deal Arraez, news of this move still hit hard among Giants fans, given that the 29-year-old has been one of the only bright spots for the franchise this season. He leaves the Bay Area with a .324 batting average and an .800 OPS, while also emerging as one of the best defensive infielders in baseball.
It seems that Arraez enjoyed his brief tenure with the Giants, as shown by an Instagram post he made addressing the franchise on Monday afternoon.
The post showed included several photos of Arraez this season and was captioned, “Today it’s time for me to say goodbye to an incredible organization and an amazing fan base.
“Thank you, San Francisco Giants, for welcoming me and my family with so much kindness and respect. I’m truly grateful to God for the opportunity to have been part of this amazing organization.🧡🚿🫶🏽,” Arraez’s post continued.
Luis Arraez reacts during a San Francisco Giants game. AP Photo/Gregory Bull
He also addressed the next stage of his career, writing, “Now it’s time for a new chapter in Philadelphia. I’m excited for this opportunity and ready to give it my all. See you soon, Philly! 🚀❤️🚿”.
Arraez clearly holds his time in San Francisco in high regard, given this parting message to the franchise.
Giants fans will likely keep an eye on how Arraez performs in Philadelphia, if only because he’s now still competing for something worthwhile in chasing his fourth batting title.
Arraez has already made MLB history in becoming the first player to win three batting titles with three different teams, and can add to that record if he ends the season at the National League’s batting average leader. He currently leads the NL in batting average, with Miami Marlins shortstop Otto Lopez (who is hitting .321) hot on his heels.
