12:25am: The groups introduced the commerce.
11:51pm: The Rays obtain outfielder Aidan Smith, right-hander Brody Hopkins and the participant to be named later, stories Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Instances (on X).
11:46pm: Tampa Bay is buying two prospects and a participant to be named later, per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X hyperlink).
11:38pm: The Mariners are buying Randy Arozarena from the Rays, stories Francys Romero (X hyperlink). Seattle has desperately wanted an impression bat and so they’ll land one of many hottest hitters in the marketplace.
Arozarena had a superb four-plus 12 months run in Tampa Bay. The Rays acquired him from the Cardinals over the 2019-20 offseason in a deal sending then prime pitching prospect Matthew Liberatore to St. Louis. Arozarena had made a quick MLB debut with St. Louis the prior season, however the 2020 postseason represented his true emergence as a star. He mashed 10 dwelling runs in 20 postseason video games, snagging ALCS MVP honors and serving to the Rays to a World Sequence.
Regardless of that breakout playoff efficiency, Arozarena retained rookie eligibility into 2021. He cruised to Rookie of the 12 months honors behind a .274/.356/.459 slash with 20 homers and stolen bases apiece. That was the primary of three straight 20-20 campaigns for the Cuban outfielder. He swiped a career-high 32 bases in ’22 and reached 23 longballs in his first All-Star season final 12 months.
Arozarena appeared in 445 video games between 2021-23. He hit .264/.349/.443 with 63 homers in somewhat greater than 1900 plate appearances. That manufacturing was 26 proportion factors above league common, as measured by wRC+, placing him among the many greatest left fielders within the sport. Arozarena’s accolades and consistency led to rapidly escalating arbitration salaries. That led to some chatter the low-payroll Rays may deal him final offseason.
Tampa Bay clearly rebuffed no matter commerce presents they obtained over the winter. They definitely hoped Arozarena would anchor their lineup and assist them to a sixth straight playoff berth. He and the crew received off to a chilly begin, nevertheless, placing them in a gap from which they’ve by no means actually recovered.
Arozarena hit .158/.257/.312 by means of the tip of Might. A few of that was the results of an unsustainably poor .186 common on balls in play, however his strikeout price spiked to a near-29% clip. Arozarena has turned issues round following that disastrous stretch. He’s raking at a .290/.402/.517 clip over the previous two months. He has dramatically reduce on the swing-and-miss (right down to 19.5%) and barely elevated his stroll proportion. The outcomes have been way more in step with his profession observe document as an impression hitter.
In mixture, Arozarena’s season numbers are pedestrian. He’s hitting .211/.318/.394 with 15 homers by means of 409 plate appearances. That’s solely marginally higher than common manufacturing and could be the worst numbers of his profession. Given his general observe document and newer type, it appears truthful to view his early-season struggles as extra of an anomaly than a worrying pattern. Getting something near the 29-year-old’s profession manufacturing could be a significant enhance for a Seattle lineup that has hit .216/.298/.362 on the 12 months. Solely the White Sox have scored fewer runs than the Mariners this month, the most important purpose the M’s have watched their 10-game cushion within the AL West evaporate.
The M’s are solely a half-game forward of the Rays within the American League standings. It’s uncommon to see a crew commerce an impression participant to a different membership that near them within the playoff image. Seattle is in higher form than Tampa Bay as regards to snagging a playoff berth, although. The Rays want to leap three groups and erase a four-game deficit within the Wild Card combine. Seattle has a way more sensible path to a division title, as they’re just one sport behind the Astros and maintain a 1.5 sport edge on the third-place Rangers.
Whereas Tampa Bay isn’t going to fully tear issues down, they may dangle various veteran gamers within the subsequent few days. The Rays had already moved Aaron Civale and Phil Maton. Dealing Arozarena appears to extend the probability of them shifting the likes of Brandon Lowe, Yandy Díaz, Zach Eflin and Zack Littell. The Rays may additionally attempt to purchase higher minors or MLB-ready expertise to help an extended shot playoff push this season and assist them for a return to rivalry subsequent 12 months.
Seattle is in rather more conventional purchaser mode. Their offense was reeling even earlier than shedding Julio Rodríguez and J.P. Crawford to harm this week. Arozarena is one of what’s prone to be a number of upgrades to their lineup as they attempt to capitalize on arguably MLB’s greatest beginning rotation. The M’s have relied on one other former Ray, Luke Raley, as their major left fielder. Raley has been a mean hitter on the season general, however he has fanned 22 instances with a .119/.224/.254 slash in 67 plate appearances this month.
Arozarena is taking part in this season on an $8.1MM wage. The M’s tackle round $2.83MM for the stretch run, which can push their estimated participant payroll to round $143MM (as calculated by RosterResource). Managing accomplice John Sherman stated final month that the entrance workplace had the spending capability so as to add gamers on the deadline. They’ve put that into follow right here and will accomplish that once more earlier than Tuesday’s deadline. Seattle controls Arozarena by means of arbitration for 2 extra seasons. He’ll probably earn a lift into the $12-14MM vary subsequent 12 months and will method a $20MM wage for the ’26 marketing campaign.
The Rays, a crew that entered the season with a participant payroll under $100MM, most likely weren’t wanting to decide to these 2025-26 salaries. A commerce by subsequent offseason at all times appeared probably. They’re sufficiently intrigued by the prospect package deal to make the transfer just a few months early, even when it offers successful to their already slim playoff probabilities.
Extra to return.
