The Sailors of Seattle They acquired the gardener Cuban Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for minor league outfielder Aidan Smith, right-handed pitching prospect Brody Hopkins, and a player to be named later, the teams announced Friday.
Arozarena hit 15 homers and stole 16 bases in 100 games for the Rays this season despite posting a somewhat low average (.211). The 2021 American League Rookie of the Year owns a 123 OPS+ in six MLB seasons.
The 29-year-old memorably led the Rays to a World Series berth in 2020 with a legendary postseason run during which he earned ALCS MVP honors. Tampa Bay ended up losing the Fall Classic to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Randy is a dynamic, high-energy player who has excelled in the biggest moments on the biggest stages,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. “He’s going to be a great addition to our clubhouse and lineup.”
Arozarena has two arbitration seasons remaining and is not eligible to test free agency until after the 2026 campaign.
Smith, 20, was a fourth-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. The outfielder is hitting .284 with nine homers and 28 steals in 77 games while stationed at Single-A Modesto.
Hopkins, 22, was also a product of last year’s draft, having been taken in the sixth round out of college. The right-hander has a 2.90 ERA in 83.2 innings pitched while making 18 starts at Single-A.
Baseball America ranked Smith and Hopkins as the No. 14 and No. 15 prospects in the Mariners’ system, respectively.
Arozarena should significantly boost Seattle’s lineup, which has struggled for much of 2024 and is currently without superstar Julio Rodriguez and shortstop JP Crawford.
The Mariners are currently 53-51, one game behind the Houston Astros for the AL West lead and 3.5 games behind the final AL wild-card spot.
The Rays, meanwhile, remain in contention at 52-51. However, they are 9.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles and four behind in the wild-card hunt.
