Mariners acquire Randy Arozarena from Rays, per source: How he fits in Seattle

By Ken Rosenthal, Andy McCullough and Aaron Gleeman

The Seattle Mariners have acquired left fielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced Friday. 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.

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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.

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)