Rays trade Randy Arozarena to Seattle Mariners

Mariners prospects OF Aidan Smith and RHP Brody Hopkins head to the Rays, with player to be named later.

The Tampa Bay Rays are trading star outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Seattle Mariners, according to Marc Topkin, and first reported by Cuban reporter Francys Romero.

In return the Rays will receive three minor league players: OF Aidan Smith, RHP Brody Hopkins, and a player to be named later.

Smith was drafted in 2023 at an above-slot deal out of the fourth round that paid $1.2 million, essentially treating him like a top 50-75 player in that draft. The money needed to be good to keep the 6’3” teenager out of Lovejoy HS in Texas from joining the Mississippi Bulldogs. He has plus power, and plus plus defense in center, but ranked outside the top-10 on most prospect lists for the Seattle organization. If he hits, he’s a star, but it’s a high variance prospect given his age and need to develop at the plate.

Hopkins is a side-armer with a 99 mph fastball on a wide shouldered, 6’4” frame that doesn’t have a lot of wear due to his recent conversion to pitching. The arm angle provides a plus sweeper, giving this 6th rounder from 2023 the floor of a high leverage reliever. There’s much more that needs developed to be a starter, which puts him in the 15-20 range for Seattle’s organization.

There is no word on the value of the PTBNL yet.

All told, this is not a blockbuster return for the team’s most popular player, who had multiple outfield sections dedicated to him as Randy Land.

The Rays postseason hero was not a repeat All-Star this season, due to a slow start to the season, but had batted an extraordinary 166 wRC+ since June 1, and was well on his way to a fourth consecutive 20 HR/20 SB season.

Arozarena is making $8.1 million this season in his first of three years of salary arbitration. He will be a free agent in 2027.

Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images

This one hurts.