Mariners' bill for Randy Arozarena trade is about to come due as Rays prospect rises

There's no denying there have been moments during the Randy Arozarena era, when Mariners fans (and teammates) have become exasperated with how he conducts himself. Still, the general consensus is that his acquisition from the Rays has been a successful one. Now though, with his time in Seattle more than likely coming to an end, one of the trade pieces who the M's gave up for the three-time All-Star is starting to make some noise in an almost taunting way, in Brody Hopkins

It's no secret that the Mariners bullpen has struggled immensely in 2026, ranking 23rd in the majors in team ERA and 24th in fWAR. And they've been even worse since the beginning of July, ranking 29th and 30th respectively in the same categories. Besieged by injuries, inconsistency and lack of quality options, it's tough not to notice that Hopkins is beginning to make a name for himself as a reliever in the Rays' minor league system.

Taken in the sixth round of the 2023 draft by the Mariners, Hopkins was exclusively used as a starter during his time in the Pacific Northwest. However, this season the Rays made the decision to start experimenting by giving him some playing time as a reliever in Triple-A Durham and saw enough to eventually move him to the bullpen full time during last month. In fairness, you can understand why when you see a basic breakdown of his productivity compared to when he was in the rotation:

As impressive as Hopkins has been as a reliever overall, he's been even better since he began pitching out of the bullpen exclusively. He really seems to be finding his groove now in his new role, allowing no runs in his last six outings. In the process he has allowed just four hits and two walks in 6.0 combined innings, while also striking out 11.

The heat is on with Brody Hopkins in Triple-A

Already renowned for having a strong arm, Hopkins has only turned up the heat since his move to the bullpen. The 24-year-old reached 102.1 mph at the Triple-A level, during his most recent appearance on Wednesday night. As per Jesse Borek of MLB.com, only 19 Major League and nine other Triple-A pitchers have hit the 102 mph mark in 2026.

It makes sense that Hopkins would reach new heights with his velocity, given that he no longer needs to concern himself with the demands of going long as a starter. In addition, the Rays have now streamlined his approach to focus on three pitches after previously having an arsenal of five. If the recent form continues, there's talk of him potentially becoming a closer in the big leagues down the line.

Arozarena has undoubtedly been one of Jerry Dipoto's better moves, as a beacon of offensive productivity for the Mariners particularly this season, leading the team with a .833 OPS, 140 OPS+ and career-high 4.3 fWAR. However, with the payoff from the trade set to end with his foray into free agency, it's natural to turn your attention to what the Mariners gave up to acquire him in the first place. And without doubt, they sure could use a guy like Hopkins right about now in the bullpen.

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