MLB Trade News: Seattle Mariners reportedly acquires Randy Arozarena, push for AL West top spot amid Astros' resurgence

The Seattle Mariners have acquired Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays, according to MLB Insider Ken Rosenthal. This comes as a big, under-the-radar move with Arozarena, who was rumored to go the Los Angeles Dodgers' way.

According to Tampa Bay Times' Marc Topkin, the Rays have acquired outfielder Aidan Smith (the Mariners' No. 12 prospect), right-hander Brody Hopkins (No. 22), and a player to be named later.

The Mariners could be huge winners from this trade, as Arozarena would be under the team's control through the 2026 season.

Also, with the Astros (53-49) resurging in the AL West, it was important for the Mariners (53-51) to react and they seem to have done so with the Arozarena trade.

With the move, the Mariners have added an All-Star bat to their lineup who, despite being under par this season, should help the club go toe-to-toe in their division fight over rivals, the Houston Astros.

After Thursday's game, where Randy Arozarena contributed with an RBI, the outfielder is hitting .211 along with 15 homers, 16 stolen bases and 37 RBIs. He is a former AL Rookie of the Year and earned the All-Star selection in 2023.

Randy Arozarena's Contract Situation: How much is the outfielder expected to earn through arbitration next season?

The Tampa Bay Rays trading the former Rookie of the Year comes as no surprise. The club is known for keeping their payroll in check, and with Arozarena's increasing salary each season, the Rays were never likely going to hold onto him, especially in a season where they aren't expected to make it to the postseason.

Randy Arozarena was awarded a one-year, $8.1 million deal through arbitration for this season. The outfielder is projected to earn $10 million in arbitration next season. That value can be spiked to $11 million if he has a hot bat in the second half.

With this trade, the Mariners have also made their intentions clear. They're not going to let the Astros bulldoze them from the division lead and can still make big moves to compete for the division lead. Currently, the Mariners trail the Astros by one game for the lead.

It seems the AL West has just become more competitive.