The Mariners were linked to Randy Arozarena during the offseason, but they didn’t pull the trigger on any trades then. Even though, they did make a deal with the Tampa Bay Rays. On Thursday evening, the Mariners traded for Arozarena.
According to Jeff Passan, the Mariners didn’t get up much to acquire Randy Arozarena either.
Mariners receive: Arozarena
Tampa Bay receives: outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Brody Hopkins and a player to be named later.
Arozarena struggled throughout the beginning of the 2024 campaign but has turned it around since the start of June. He is slashing slashing .290/.402/.517 (.920 OPS) with 7 HR, 20 RBI and 9 SB in 43 games. The Mariners have struggled mightily on offense this season and with both JP Crawford and Julio Rodriguez on the IL, they desperately need bats. Acquiring Arozarena, who’s still under team control for a couple more years, is a trade that Mariners fans should be okay with, especially when you didn’t have to give up any top 10 prospects to get him.
Following the Mariners decision to waive Ty France, this trade comes as a good sign from the front office. A sign that they still believe in going out acquiring bats to fix the struggling lineup, rather than giving up. It’s doubtful that the Mariners brass is done. With how well, the pitching staff has done this season they need to go all-in. The intriguing part now, will be to see how the Mariners make room on the roster. Will they waive either Mitch Haniger or Mitch Garver or will they send Jonatan Clase or Cade Marlowe back down to the minors?
On the flip side, the trade makes sense for the Rays. They’re a middle-of-the-pack team right now that probably wasn’t going to pay Arozarena when his contract is up. They at least got something in return. It’s not like they got scrubs either. Smith and Hopkins were both ranked in the Top 30 in a deep Mariners farm system.
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