Source: Mariners finalizing trade for Rays OF Randy Arozarena
The Seattle Mariners are finalizing a trade to acquire outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays, a source told ESPN on Thursday night, confirming multiple reports.
The Rays will receive minor league outfielder Aidan Smith and right-hander Brody Hopkins and a player to be named, according to sources.
Arozarena, the AL Rookie of the Year in 2021, joins a Mariners team that lost star outfielder Julio Rodriguez and shortstop J.P. Crawford to the injured list earlier this week. After leading the AL West by 10 games, Seattle has gone 9-20 since June 19 and sits one game behind the first-place Houston Astros.
Arozarena is batting just .213 this season but has 15 homers.
Smith, a 20-year-old outfielder taken in the fourth round of the MLB draft last year, was hitting .284 with nine home runs, 42 RBIs, 63 runs scored and 28 steals this season for Single-A Modesto.
The 22-year-old Hopkins, a sixth-round pick last year, also was on that Modesto team this season, going 4-3 with a 2.90 ERA in 18 starts, striking out 95 in 83.2 innings.