Mariners' prospect call-up tease requires answering a major Randy Arozarena question

Like most teams, most news about the Mariners around this time of year has to do with trade deadline rumors. Prospects are primarily discussed as bargaining chips and although the impending call-up of Kade Anderson has been talked about for a couple of months now, Seattle hasn't done much with other prospects aside from a few minor league promotions.

The team has expressed interest in acquiring a right-handed bat, but their options are dwindling through no real fault of their own. Reported targets like Spencer Steer and Casey Schmitt have run into unfortunate injury luck, leaving Seattle to potentially promote an unsuspecting prospect that could create yet another roster issue.

The Mariners may call up Michael Arroyo but will have to move Randy Arozarena to do so

In a recent report by Adam Jude of The Seattle Times, Arroyo joined a growing list of the organization's prospects that could be added to the big league roster at some point this summer. He has had a strong year in the minor leagues, posting a 125 wRC+ with 13 home runs across 377 plate appearances split between Double-A and Triple-A.

Defensively, Arroyo came up as a middle infielder but given the presence of Cole Young and Colt Emerson, he has been getting more reps in left field and seems like that would give him the clearest path to the majors. However, the Mariners already have a left fielder and he's pretty good.

If Seattle does call up Arroyo and put him in left field, then they'll either need to move Randy Arozarena to right field or get rid of him altogether. His outstanding play this year would undoubtedly be of interest to suitors if the Mariners do decide to trade him but given his contributions to the lineup, it doesn't seem like the team can win without him.

And so it seems far more prudent to instead move him to the other corner of the outfield. They'll see some defensive regression since he hasn't played right field since 2022 and is near the bottom quartile for arm strength, but in their current situation, the front office should be more than willing to sacrifice a little run prevention if it means they'll finally score more than a handful of runs a game. This would also allow the Mariners to replace Luke Raley, who has been freezing cold since the start of June, for good.

With two months left to play and their postseason chances gradually slipping, Seattle can't wait much longer to take action. Whether from Tacoma or another major league organization, the Mariners need offensive reinforcements as soon as possible and at the moment, it seems like Michael Arroyo is ready to heed the call.

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