Mariners purchase Arozarena in a deal with Rays
CHICAGO Needing an injection of energy into their offense and a boost to their defense, the Mariners believe they’ve provided a significant boost. The team on Thursday night bought All-Star player Randy Arozarena from the Rays which marked the debut of a blockbuster during this Trade Deadline season.
By Daniel Kramer
Jul 26, 2024 06:49 AM
CHICAGO — Desperately needing a jolt to their offense, the Mariners believe they’ve added a big boost.
The club acquired on Thursday night All-Star player Randy Arozarena from the Rays This was the first big-budget film of this Trade Deadline season. Returning to Tampa Bay are two promising but less experienced prospects Both Draft selections from last year’s draft.
TRADE DETAILS
Mariners receive: OF Randy Arozarena
Rays get of Aidan Smith (No. 12 among Mariners Top 30 prospects), RHP Brody Hopkins (No. 22) The player will be named at a later date
Arozarena comes in at a point when Seattle falling fast on their American League postseason race, dropping a 10-game advantage in the AL West as recently as June 18 until now being one game in front of Houston and 3 1/2 games from being in the running for an AL Wild Card spot, in this week’s series with The White Sox.
While enduring a slumping the year Arozarena changed things dramatically since June 1 and has an slash line of .290/.402/.517 (.920 OPS) after he hit .158 with an .568 OPS in his initial 56 contests. Arozarena is making $8.1 million this year and is under control of the club for the next two season (through 2026) which will likely bring two additional raises through arbitration.
The Mariners are betting on him to continue his recent ability, a fact that is close to his previous career statistics at this point. which include an .787 OPS and an impressive 125 WRCplus (league standard is 100) and the home run of 86 in 586 games in four seasons. In addition in 2021, the AL Rookie of the Year Award winner has enjoyed the spotlight more than anyone else in the sport.
Arozarena 29-year-old Arozarena was able to put together an remarkable postsseason performances in the year 2020, when he hit ten homers over the course of 20 games in the Rays winning their first World Series. In the following year, when he was the left fielder who started for his debut All-Star performance in 2023and it was on the same day at T-Mobile Park — he hit a leaping catch against the wall in the opening innings that stunned crowds in Seattle crowd. Arozarena also placed second in the Home Run Derby, to Toronto’s Vladimir Guerrero Jr., whom the Mariners have been eyeing in the current Deadline season According to reports.
His most impressive performance this year was his thrilling appearance as a member of Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. From 2021 to 2013 his wRC+ adjusted varied between 124-129 He also had minimum 20 hits, 20 steals and 140 hits, while playing more than 141 matches every year.
“Randy is a dynamic, high-energy all-around player who has excelled in the biggest moments on the biggest stages,” Mariners GM Justin Hollander said in a statement. “He’s going to be a great addition to our clubhouse and lineup.”
The trade on Thursday marked the 16th time that trades have been made between Seattle as well as Tampa Bay since Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto took over after the season of 2015. Both clubs were active in negotiations for several players in the offseason, as per sources, including Arozarena along with Rays Corner of the infielders Isaac Paredes and Yandy Diaz.
In that sense to that end, the Mariners may not be finished at the end of this Deadline season. They’re letting go of Smith who is playing well in the Minors, and Hopkins who the team was very enthusiastic about and who was the best in its system of farm players and has plenty to go through. The most prominent player in the group is the catcher Harry Ford (Seattle’s No. 2 prospect, and MLB Pipeline’s No. 23 overall).
In the ideal scenario, they’d also add an impact bat. In the background, Seattle’s front office has been consistent in its determination to improve the club even in the wake of a shocking decline from the grace of (9-20 since the lead of 10 games) and injury-related gut-punches this week to long-time players J.P. Crawford (out 4-6 weeks after sustaining broken left pinkie) and Julio Rodriguez (whose timeline is still unknown due to a high ankle strain)
The Mariners’ primary goal even after the departure of the first baseman Ty France earlier this week was to acquire an outfielder to add to the already overcrowded and underperforming team. Rodriguez is their mainstay for the in the long run as is Luke Raley — also bought in January from Tampa Bay, in January was the team’s most successful acquisition of the offseason.
Beyond Rodriguez and the remaining players that is on the active roster have their own questions.
The fan favourite Mitch Haniger has a career-worst .628 OPS and lost playing time. The veteran Victor Robles has experienced success however, only in short bursts. Cade Marlowe was just recalled from Triple-A Tacoma on Tuesday. Dominic Canzone, who the club had hoped would be a major player, is currently hitting .211 with an .684 OPS and is on the IL for the second time this season.
The Mariners are in desperate need of offense to complement a pitching team that is among the best in MLB. Seattle’s bats are among the worst baseball bats and have the team having a .216 batter’s score ( 30th among the 30 teams) and an .660 OPS ( 28th) and an 28.0 percentage strikeout ratio (30th). Arozarena has a swing-and-miss approach, and a an all-time high 25.3 percent strikeout rate.
However, he also brings power potential, and perhaps the same as hope to a team that desperately requires it.