The MLB trade deadline is just under seven weeks away. With the 2024 season roughly 40% done, buyers and sellers are beginning to crystallize. The Tampa Bay Rays could fit the bill of the latter. They are 31-35 on the year and sit at the bottom of the NL East. If they do sell, one player that could be dealt is Randy Arozarena. The Rays could trade Arozarena to a contender like the Los Angeles Dodgers or the Philadelphia Phillies.
Arozarena has been a star for Tampa Bay over the last three seasons. But this season has seen a drastic turn for the worse. He's posting career lows across the board in batting average (.175), on-base percentage (.284), slugging (.320), and OPS (.604). Maybe a change of scenery can rejuvenate him. Landing in Los Angeles or Philadelphia just might do the trick.
Randy Arozarena goes to the Dodgers
Believe it or not, the Dodgers' offense isn't very good. It could use a spark, and Arozarena could provide it if they can swing a trade for him. This would be the second time Los Angeles went after him. The Dodgers were hot on the Tampa star's trail back in the winter when they tried to get him along with Tyler Glasnow, but couldn't make a deal work to land both.
"My understanding is the Dodgers aren't that enthused about Manuel Margot. They'd be more enthused if it was Randy Arozarena, but that's a lot more prospects." "I'm not sure if Margot will be part of this package." 👀 Heyman this morning on the reported Tyler Glasnow trade
The Dodgers settled on landing Manuel Margot with the former Tampa ace instead. Los Angeles quickly flipped Margot to the Minnesota Twins along with shortstop prospect Rayne Doncon for a different shortstop prospect in Noah Miller. Margot isn't exactly lighting the world on fire in Minnesota, but he is still outperforming Arozarena so far this season.
Margot is also outperforming a number of Dodgers outfielders. Teoscar Hernandez and Andy Pages have been solid for Los Angeles, but no one else in their outfield has. Jason Heyward is hitting just .230 on the year. James Outman was recently optioned to the minors but is starting to find a groove in Triple-A.
Though Arozarena has begun this year in a big slump, he'd be an upgrade over Outman, Heyward, or Pages. Some advanced stats show that he may be able to get out of this slump organically. Maybe a change of scenery is all he needs. Either way, the Dodgers' order outside of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Hernandez could use a jolt. Arozarena can provide that.
Rays send the OF to the Phillies
Despite the Dodgers' issues offensively, they are still 41-26 with a 7.5-game lead over the San Diego Padres in the NL West. But they don't have the best record in the NL. That would belong to the Philadelphia Phillies, who sit 45-20 through 65 games this season. Only the New York Yankees have more wins in all of MLB than the Phillies so far.
They've done all this winning despite the fact they have also not gotten virtually anything behind the plate from their outfield. Brandon Marsh is their only outfielder who has posted a batting average above .240 on the year. He and Christian Pache are the only outfielders on the team who have an on-base percentage above .300. That's simply not good enough.
This is a clear area of improvement for the World Series runner-ups. They plan to address it too. The Phillies will be making a run for either Arozarena, Luis Robert, or Kyle Tucker according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
If Philadelphia bolsters their outfield, they could become favorites for the World Series with how loaded they are everywhere else. Arozarena, in particular, would be a tremendous fit via trade. It will be worth watching to see if they can pull off a deal for an outfielder like him before the deadline.
