Mariners, Rays Agree to Four-Player Blockbuster Involving Randy Arozarena
Randy Arozarena is headed to the Pacific Northwest.
The 29-year-old outfielder was acquired in a deal by the Seattle Mariners late Thursday night, where he’ll attempt to improve a sputtering lineup. In return, the Tampa Bay Rays received two minor-league prospects, outfielder Aidan Smith and right-hander Brody Hopkins, and a player to be named later.
Both clubs have confirmed the trade via social media, marking the first blockbuster ahead of Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET trade deadline.
Arozarena, earning $8.1 million this season and under club control through 2026, struggled at the plate during his fifth and final season with the Rays. In 100 games, the right-handed-hitting outfielder slashed .211/.318/.394 with 15 home runs, 37 RBIs and a 109 wRC+.
But the 2023 All-Star has turned things around lately, hitting .293/.396/.560 with 17 extra-base hits (seven home runs), 17 RBIs and a 173 wRC+ across 33 games since June 14th.
Seattle’s lineup has been amongst the worst in the sport this season, ranking 28th in runs per game (3.75) and SLG (.362) and 30th in AVG (.216) entering Friday’s slate. They also sit tied for 28th in OBP (.298).
The hope is that adding Arozarena’s bat will help ignite this group. It could also pay dividends in the playoffs, given his proven post-season track record with 11 home runs, a .336/.414/.690 slash line and an ALCS MVP trophy for his historic 2020 performance.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has inserted a pair of top-30 prospects from Seattle’s farm system – Smith at No. 12, Hopkins at No. 22 per MLB Pipeline – into its organization.
Smith, a fourth-round selection by the Mariners a year ago, has displayed plenty of power this season, blasting nine home runs alongside a .470 SLG in 77 games at Single-A. The 20-year-old has also earned plenty of free passes, posting a 14.5-percent walk rate.
Hopkins was also chosen in last year’s draft, selected out of the sixth round by Seattle. Though he didn’t make his pro debut until this season, the 22-year-old righty has already shown impressive growth, pitching to a 2.90 ERA with 95 strikeouts across 83.2 innings in 18 starts at Single-A.
Now that the Rays have officially declared themselves sellers, odds are they’ll continue to unload players with lucrative salaries who are close to reaching free agency. Those likely on the trade block include Zach Eflin, Yandy Díaz, Brandon Lowe and Amed Rosario, among others.
The Mariners, who previously held a 10-game lead for top spot in the AL West, now find themselves out of a playoff spot, positioned one game behind the division-leading Houston Astros and only a game and a half up on the surging Texas Rangers.
That means general manager Jerry Dipoto probably isn’t finished improving his roster yet, especially considering how much the club’s offence has struggled in 2024. As such, procuring another middle-of-the-order bat or two before Tuesday’s deadline will likely be among his top priorities.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @Hall_Thomas_
Photo: All-Pro Reels. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.