SAN FRANCISCO — Luis Arraez was everything the Giants were looking for on and off the field, and in a lot of ways, he even exceeded expectations. He has a good chance to win a fourth batting title, and for 105 games, he brought the type of contact skills that Buster Posey felt this lineup has been lacking in recent years. He returned to second base and was far better than even the Giants, who won the offseason bidding because they were willing to let him try, could have imagined. Arraez has a legitimate shot to win his first Gold Glove Award this season.
The 29-year-old was a tireless worker before games and fiercely competitive during them, having the most entertaining at-bats in recent Giants memory. He was popular in the clubhouse, had plenty of time for fans, and never shied away from media obligations. So many rivals made time to catch up with him that it became easy to see him taking over a role as an offseason recruiter.
Arraez brought toughness, too, something that manager Tony Vitello mentioned often. When Vitello went out to check on him after a recent collision at second base, he was waved away. Arraez was concerned that an injury delay...