Randy Arozarena Traded to Mariners; Rays Get Prospects Aidan Smith, Brody Hopkins

Adam WellsJuly 26, 2024

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In desperate need of an offensive boost, the Seattle Mariners made an aggressive move to acquire Randy Arozarena in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Mariners dealt prospects Aidan Smith and Brody Hopkins, along with a player to be named later, to the Rays in exchange for Arozarena.

It became apparent coming out of the All-Star break that the Rays were more likely to sell ahead of the trade deadline. They are currently over .500 (52-51), but there are three teams ahead of them for the final playoff spot in the AL, and they have been outscored by 54 runs.

The only AL teams with a worse run differential than the Rays entering Friday are the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox.

Arozarena had been mentioned as a trade candidate for weeks leading up to Thursday’s deal. The 2023 All-Star seemed to have a lot more value than this return would suggest because he’s under team control for two more seasons after the 2024 campaign.

The 29-year-old is hitting only .211/.318/.394 overall this season, but he’s been very good following a dismal start. He has a .249/.359/.467 slash line with 11 homers and 12 stolen bases in 67 games since May 5.

The Mariners have to be thrilled about getting an impact hitter for the middle of their lineup at a fairly low cost. It’s unclear who the player to be named later will be, but that could make the trade look better for Tampa.

There may not have been a playoff contender in either league that needed to make a move more than the Mariners. They are tied for 22nd in MLB with a 93 wRC+ and rank 28th in MLB with a .292 weighted on-base average.

Seattle outfielders are hitting a collective .239/.301/.379 this season. Julio Rodríguez was placed on the injured list earlier this week with a high ankle sprain.

The Mariners currently trail the Houston Astros by one game in the AL West and Kansas City Royals by 3.5 games for the final wild-card spot. They led the division by 10 games on June 18, but they have lost 20 of their last 29 games since that time.

MLB.com has Smith ranked as the No. 12 prospect in Seattle’s farm system and Hopkins at No. 22. Smith was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft and is hitting .284/.402/.470 as a center fielder in A ball with Modesto.

Hopkins, a sixth-round draft pick in 2023, has made 18 starts for Modesto. The right-hander has a 2.90 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 83.2 innings.