Mariners land LF Randy Arozarena in deal with Rays

Randy Arozarena is going to Seattle.

The Mariners closed a deal to sign the Tampa Bay Rays star player on Thursday night, the team announced.

In return, the Rays will receive minor leaguers OF Aidan Smith and RHP Brody Hopkins. The Rays will also receive a third minor-league player to be named later.

Arozarena was also spotted watching the Rays from the stands at Tropicana Field on Friday night.

Arozarena is in the midst of his fifth season with the Rays, though he is currently hitting a career-low .213 with 15 home runs and 36 RBI. The 29-year-old outfielder was named to his first All-Star game last season, and finished the season with 23 home runs and 22 steals while leading the Rays to the playoffs.

He broke through in the 2020 postseason, winning the ALCS MVP as the Rays reached the World Series and setting the MLB record for home runs in a single postseason, with 10. In his first full season in 2021, Arozarena won the AL Rookie of the Year with 20 homers and a 129 OPS+.

Smith, who was selected by the Mariners in the fourth round of last year’s draft, has a .284 batting average with 42 RBI and nine home runs with their Low-A affiliate this summer. The 20-year-old outfielder was the Mariners’ No. 12 prospect, according to MLB.com. Hopkins, the Mariners’ No. 22 prospect, has a 4-3 record in 18 starts with their Low-A team. The right-handed pitcher has a 2.90 ERA in 83 2/3 innings on the mound.

Arozarena will join a Mariners team fighting to secure their second playoff spot in the past 23 seasons. They currently hold a 53-51 record, good for second place in the AL West, and enter a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox this weekend. The M’s are 3.5 games out of the final AL wild-card spot.

After years of consistent playoff contention, the Tampa Bay Rays are having a poor season by their standards. At 52-51, they are 9.5 games back in the AL East and four games out of the AL wild-card picture.

The MLB transfer deadline is Tuesday at 6:00 p.m. ET.

What does this deal mean for the Mariners and Rays?

Seattle’s terrible offense is the primary culprit behind the team’s stunning 10-game division lead being squandered to Houston, and it was no secret that the Mariners would be looking to improve their lineup with the deadline approaching. Recent injuries to Julio Rodriguez and JP Crawford and an embarrassing home win by the Angels seemingly made that possibility a reality, as the M’s struck a deal with Tampa Bay to acquire one of the league’s most recognizable outfielders in Arozarena.

Both corners of Seattle’s outfield have been abysmally unproductive besides J-Rod, and even if he bounces back quickly from his ankle injury, this was a clear spot in need of an upgrade ASAP. Arozarena has been one of the best hitters in baseball over the past two months and should help immediately. That said, if the Mariners really want to feel good about staying in the mix to win the AL West, this shouldn’t be the only hitter they acquire.

The prospect cost may not seem like much at first glance, but the Rays correctly identified two fast-rising players in Seattle’s system to headline this return. Smith is a right-handed centerfield prospect who received a $1.2 million signing bonus from a Texas high school a year ago and is coming off a stellar teenage season in Low-A. Hopkins is an ultra-athletic right-handed pitcher who was primarily a position player in college but has blossomed on the mound in pro ball and could start showing up on top-100 lists regularly this winter. He’s 22 and still in Low-A, like Smith, but he could be a quick move next year if his workload isn’t managed as closely. The Rays also get a PTBNL in this deal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s another decent prospect.

While Tampa Bay still appears to be within shouting distance of the AL wild-card mix, this deal represents a willingness to sell significantly more and focus on the future, rather than trying to sneak into the postseason this year. Based on their run differential and pitching woes, I’d say this is a smart gamble by the Rays, and this deal could look great in a few years. — Jordan Schusterman