The Tampa Bay Rays cashed in before the MLB trade deadline, sending star Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners in the first blockbuster of the summer.
Despite being 4.0 games out from the American League wild-card spot at 52-51, the Rays clearly made a choice to sell at the deadline with one of their biggest trade pieces.
Meanwhile, the Mariners are doing whatever they can to add talent to a sinking ship that dropped a 10-game lead in the AL West, and they now find themselves 3.5 games out from the wild card.
In all, this became a four-player swap with the Mariners sending two prospects and a player to be named later for Arozarena.
Mariners receive: OF Randy Arozarena
Rays receive: OF Aidan Smith (No. 12 prospect), RHP Brody Hopkins (No. 22), player to be named later
After a slow start to the season, Arozarena has looked like himself since the start of June. Since June 1 (44 games), Arozarena has a .284 batting average with seven home runs, 18 RBI and a .903 OPS.
Arozarena will man left field in Seattle, playing next to one of the brightest stars in the game in centerfielder Julio Rodriguez.
The Rays continue to build their farm system and likely are not done selling before the deadline. They also could move other pieces like infielder Isaac Paredes, first baseman Yandy Diaz, right-handed starter Zach Eflin and closer Pete Fairbanks.
We’ll see if this move sparks any other trade deadline blockbusters, but these two teams got it going with less than a week to go.
