Red Sox Rival Strikes Unique Trade Involving Notable MLB Postseason Hero

It's not often you see two teams with nearly identical records strike a major deal before the MLB trade deadline.

Yet, that's exactly what happened late Thursday night when the Seattle Mariners (53-51) agreed to acquire outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays (52-51).

The Rays netted two prospects -- outfielder Aidan Smith and right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins -- plus a player to be named later in the trade.

Arozarena, an All-Star in 2023, hasn't performed up to his usual standards this season, slashing .211/.318/.394 with 15 home runs, 37 RBIs and 16 stolen bases through 100 games. But he's been much better over the past couple of months, reinforcing his stock ahead of the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

Arozarena is best known for his playoff heroics, particularly in 2020, when he dominated at every turn for the Rays. He earned American League Championship Series MVP honors that year before Tampa Bay ultimately fell to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.

Arozarena, 29, should give Seattle's lineup a much-needed boost, offering both power and speed. He's also under contract through the 2026 season, so this isn't just a rental for the Mariners.

While this doesn't necessarily signal a full-fledged fire sale for Tampa Bay, which consistently operates in its own realm, so to speak, thanks to its usual payroll constraints and its propensity for turning over the roster with outside-the-box moves, it speaks to the different situations each team faces.

The Mariners entered Friday just one game back of the AL West-leading Houston Astros. They're very much in their division race, on top of being 3 1/2 games behind the Kansas City Royals for the AL's third wild-card spot.

The Rays, meanwhile, sit 9.5 games behind the AL East-leading Baltimore Orioles, with four games to cover in the wild-card race. Their playoff odds are worse than Seattle's.