Before the Philadelphia Phillies completed a deal with the Baltimore Orioles to acquire outfielder Austin Hays Friday, they did apparently inquire on one of the game’s biggest showmen.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports that the Phillies that the Phillies did discuss Tampa Bay left fielder Randy Arozarena, “but balked when the Rays asked for a top prospect.”
It’s unclear what prospect it is that the Rays asked for, or if it was just a general indication that the asking price was going to be one of the organization’s top prospects.
The Phillies, of course, didn’t send any prospects to the Orioles for Hays. Instead, they opted to trade struggling reliever Seranthony DomÃnguez and outfielder Cristian Pache, who may not have been with the team beyond the July 30 trade deadline anyway.
Arozarena was traded to the offensively-challenged Seattle Mariners Thursday evening. In return for the former American League Rookie of the Year, the Rays received RHP Brody Hopkins, outfielder Aidan Smith and a player to be named later. Hopkins and Smith are now the No. 6 and No. 11 prospects in Tampa Bay’s system, according to MLB Pipeline.
The 2020 ALCS MVP has 11 home runs and a 1.104 OPS in 33 career postseason games. Arozarena started 2024 in a rut, but has a .913 OPS in the month of July. Playing his home games at T-Mobile Park moving forward probably won’t help Arozarena, but you certainly could have envisioned the 29-year-old — who can’t become a free agent until after the 2026 season — thriving in the energy at Citizens Bank Park.
In any event, Arozarena is not going to be a Phillie. However, he did a pretty unique thing to show thanks to his prior employer, showing up to Friday night’s Rays game at Tropicana Field with his family as a fan.
It won’t take long for the Phillies to see Arozarena and the Mariners, as the Phillies will travel to Seattle for a three-game set Aug. 2-4.
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