When the Twins traded Luis Arraez for Pablo López, I wasn’t happy, but not because I thought it was necessarily a bad trade. Minnesota has been desperate for starting pitching for decades, for as long as I can remember, and so getting a front-line starting pitcher always seems like a good idea.

What made me unhappy was this: I could remember what it was like to be nine years old, and to have a favorite player, and Arraez was the perfect favorite player to have when you were nine, because he was always fun to watch.

Say what you will about Arraez and his lack of power (eighty-five of his one hundred and two hits this year are singles), or his defense (he’s about average, maybe slightly worse if you put him at second or third base), or his durability, but no matter what, he was always fun to watch. No matter who he was facing, he always had a chance to get a hit, always was making adjustments, always putting the bat on the ball (he has walked more often that he’s struck out in his career).

As you watch the Twins’ current lineup, which once again was blown away in a 9-3 loss to Boston on Monday, it’s hard not to miss that in particular about Arraez.

This current Twins lineup is marked by how hard it is to watch them. They are ponderous, plodding, trudging over and over to the plate to swing and miss and swing and miss again. If they strike out fewer than ten times, as a team, it is a minor miracle. Just as miraculous are the times when the team is actually running around the bases; for the most part, the team’s job, once on base, is to not get picked off, and stand around and hope for a home run.

And being a kid and having a favorite player must just feel like punishment, right now. Byron Buxton is zero for his last 24, including 0-for-16 on this homestand, with ten strikeouts. Carlos Correa is more likely to strike out than he is to get a hit. If Max Kepler was your favorite player, your dad has probably thrown you out of the house by now. And who else is even a candidate? Are there kids out there who are living and dying with Ryan Jeffers? I hope so, but it seems unlikely.

The Twins are under .500 again, 36-37. They lead the AL Central, which is only notable because the fact is useful to curse the entire AL Central. Arraez is gone, the fun of watching Arraez is gone, and right now nothing has taken its place.