Transaction Analysis

Padres sign Alex Arias for 2 years

There isn't much to say about this one - the Padres needed a utility player, and a mentor for Santiago Perez, and they got one.  Arias isn't a very good player - he'll hit for a mediocre average and field a clean game - but you have to think that if there's a team that could use him, especially for short money, it's the Padres.  The fact that he got two years shows that Perez is either a little further away than they thought or just not that good.  Either way, this is a good insurance move for San Diego, if not just to keep an experienced major league player handy.

Triple Steal rating: Double

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TripleSteal Rating Scale:
Grand Slam - A can't miss move; automatically makes the team considerably better.
Home Run - A great move; will help the team now and down the road.
Triple - A good move; plugs a temporary hole or will help in the future.
Double - An average move; team will get what they paid for.
Single - A head-scratcher; could help, but we definitely don't see how.
Out - A panic move; tells fans "hey, we're trying..."
Double Play - A disaster; will make fans angry just thinking about it.