Luis Arraez is still open to a contract extension with the Marlins. Where things stand

Luis Arraez has made the point clear several times and reiterated it on Monday: He is open to signing a contract extension with the Miami Marlins.

“I love Miami,” Arraez said. “My family’s here. I love the fans. They support me a lot. Let’s see what happens.”

Right now, not a lot has happened. Arraez said he has not had communication with the team about a long-term deal. Arraez is under team control for the next two seasons and will make $10.6 million in 2024 after losing his arbitration case with the Marlins last week. Arraez filed for $12 million.

“I love that he wants to stay here,” Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix said Tuesday. “I would much prefer players want to stay here than not. That’s the kind of culture that we’re building, and those conversations happen in due time. That’s something that we’re going to keep internal, but it’s really it’s meaningful that when you have really good players who want to be here.”

Arraez, acquired by the Marlins in a trade with the Minnesota Twins for Pablo Lopez and a pair of prospects, finished the season with a .354 batting average. That’s the best for a single season in Marlins history.

Couple that with his American League batting title in 2022 while with the Twins, and Arraez is the first player in MLB history to win a batting title in consecutive seasons in different leagues

Two others have won a batting title in both leagues, but they weren’t in consecutive years. DJ LeMahieu was a batting champion in the National League in 2016 and the American League in 2020, and Ed Delahanty won the NL title in 1899 and the AL title in 1902.

Arraez is the first player to finish a season with a batting average above .350 in a full season (excluding the pandemic-shortened 2020 season) since Josh Hamilton in 2010 (.359) with the Texas Rangers and the first in the National League since Chipper Jones (.364) with the Atlanta Braves and Albert Pujols (.357) with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008.

Arraez hit for the first cycle in Marlins history on April 11 against the Philadelphia Phillies and had three five-hit games, seven games with at least four hits and 20 with at least three hits.

“We love Luis Arraez,” Marlins chairman and principal owner Bruce Sherman said.

Beyond his performance on the field, Arraez is a favorite among the fans and inside the clubhouse. His personality is infectious and he finds a way to bring out the best in his teammates.

After the team’s workout Monday, Arraez stopped and signed autographs for a crowd of about 20 people waiting outside the parking lot of the Marlins’ side of the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex.

He’s selfless. He’s a hard worker.

And, eventually, he’s going to have to get paid if the Marlins want to keep him.

Until then, Arraez is going to keep reminding that to keep his head down and help the Marlins attempt to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season.

“Business is business,” Arraez said. “I’m here now to help my team win. Make the playoffs first.”

Spring training broadcast schedule

The Marlins on Monday announced their spring training broadcasting schedule, with seven of their 30 Grapefruit League games being aired on Bally Sports Florida.

Those games: Saturday’s opener against the St. Louis Cardinals (1:05 p.m.), March 3 against the Cardinals (1:05 p.m.), March 10 against the Cardinals (1:10 p.m.), March 15 against the Cardinals (6:05 p.m.), March 16 against the Philadelphia Phillies (1:10 p.m.), March 20 against the New York Mets (1:10 0.m.) and March 22 against the Cardinals (6:40 p.m.).

An additional 14 games will be live streamed on Marlins.com.