The Mariners made the first big move of the MLB Trade Deadline period — which wraps up on Tuesday, July 30 at 6 p.m. ET — when they traded for Randy Arozarena on Friday morning.
In return, the Mariners gave up none of their top 30 prospects, according to MLB.com's rankings.
And while Arozarena is a big name thanks to his playoff and World Baseball Classic exploits in the past, he's in the midst of his second down year over his last three seasons. Despite slashing a solid .254/.364/.425 with an All-Star nod last season, he's hitting just .211/.318/.394 this season. That's after a 2022 season in which he slashed just .263/.327/.445.
As a result, the Mariners' futures odds didn't change at all at DraftKings. Seattle is just +3500 to win the World Series after having been as short as +1500 when they led the AL West earlier in the season. A recent slump — and a three-game sweep at the hands of the lowly Angels — have tanked those odds and leave them on the outside looking in in the AL West standings.
The Mariners remain +200 underdogs behind the Astros to win the AL West, unchanged before the trade took place. The Astros are -145 favorites in that market. And the Mariners are just +140 to make the playoffs after having been as long as -350 in that marketplace after a hot start.
But this trade might be an indication of what's to come for a Mariners team that's going for it this year. It's also a play for the future — Arozarena has team control through the 2026 season.
As for the Rays, it's a down season that will see the small market team be sellers yet again. Expect the team to deal at least one more high valued player as they attempt to retool for the future — something they're famous for doing.
