By Ken Rosenthal, Andy McCullough and Aaron Gleeman
The Seattle Mariners have acquired left fielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays, a major-league source confirmed Friday morning. Francys Romero first reported the news.
To acquire Arozarena, the Mariners traded two minor leaguers — outfielder Aidan Smith and right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins — plus a player to be named later, according to multiple reports.
Source confirms: Mariners have acquired Randy Arozarena.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2024
Arozarena, 29, is slashing .211/.318/.394 with 15 home runs through 100 games this season, his fifth with Tampa Bay.
The 2023 All-Star and Home Run Derby participant helped the Rays to the postseason for a fifth straight year last season. The Rays currently sit fourth in the AL East at 52-51.
The Mariners have a 53-51 record and are one game back of the Houston Astros, the AL West leaders.
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Scouting report
With his salary on the rise in arbitration, Arozarena fits the profile of the sort of player the Rays tend to trade. His acquisition already proved to be a smash for the organization. Arozarena burst onto the scene in the 2020 playoffs, establishing himself as a clutch performer with a thirst for the spotlight, slugging 10 homers in the extended postseason.
He has backed that up in the subsequent regular seasons, posting a 124 OPS+ from 2021 to 2023. After a slow start in 2024, Arozarena has caught fire during the past two months. And his performance in October 2020 wasn’t a one-off, with an .816 OPS in the next three postseasons. — Andy McCullough, senior MLB writer
How Arozarena fits in Seattle
Arozarena is an ideal fit for a hitting-starved Mariners team desperate for any kind of offensive thump.
He’ll slot into the heart of Seattle’s lineup, potentially for the next 2 1/2 seasons. Even with his ice-old start, Arozarena’s current 106 OPS+ would rank second on the Mariners. — Aaron Gleeman MLB staff writer
Required reading
(Photo: Adam Hunger / Getty Images)
