Randy Arozarena is headed to Seattle.
The Mariners struck a deal to land the Tampa Bay Rays star in a trade on Thursday night, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal.
In return, the Rays will receive minor leaguers Aidan Smith and Brody Hopkins, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Marc Topkins. The Rays will also receive a third minor league player to be named later.
Arozarena is in the middle of his fifth season with the Rays this summer, though he’s currently hitting a career-low .213 with 15 home runs and 36 RBI. The 29-year-old outfielder was named to his first All-Star game last season while leading the Rays to the playoffs for a fifth straight season.
Smith, who the Mariners took in the fourth round of last year’s draft, has a .284 batting average with 42 RBI and nine home runs with their Single-A affiliate this summer. The 20-year-old outfielder was the Mariners’ No. 12 prospect, according to MLB.com. Hopkins, the Mariners’ No. 22 prospect, holds a 4-3 record in 18 starts with their Single-A team. The right-handed pitcher holds a 2.90 ERA in more than 83 innings on the mound.
Arozarena will now join a Mariners team that is fighting to make what would be their second playoff berth in the last 23 seasons. They currently hold a 53-51 record, which is good for second in the AL West, headed into a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox that starts on Friday. They are still 3.5 games out of the final AL wild card spot.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.
