The Seattle Mariners traded for outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday night to try to improve their struggling offense.
Recently, the Mariners have been in a tough spot, losing a 10-game lead in the AL West largely because their offense has not been performing well. Since June 19, Seattle has a record of 9-20 and now trails Houston in the division standings.
The Mariners are also facing injury issues. Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez will be out until August with a high-ankle sprain, and shortstop J.P. Crawford is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks due to a broken pinky finger.
“Randy is a dynamic, high-energy all-around player who has excelled in the biggest moments on the biggest stages,” Seattle general manager Justin Hollander said in a statement. “He’s going to be a great addition to our clubhouse and lineup.”
Arozarena could be a boost for Seattle’s offense, even though he is hitting a career-low .211 with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs in 100 games this season.
Despite his low batting average, Arozarena has a .712 OPS this year, which is better than all but one player in Seattle’s regular lineup.
Arozarena’s performance has been improving over the past two months. Since June 1, he is hitting .284 with a .397 on-base percentage and a .904 OPS. He has hit seven home runs and walked 20 times in that 43-game period.
Last season, Arozarena hit a career-high 23 home runs and was the All-Star Game starter in left field when it was held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, where he has a .289 career batting average. Arozarena is on track to hit at least 20 home runs for the fourth consecutive season.
The Rays, who are currently 52-51, are 9 1/2 games behind in the AL East but only four games out of the wild-card spots. The Mariners sent two minor league prospects—right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins and outfielder Aidan Smith—to the Rays, along with a player to be named later.
