Mariners' Randy Arozarena trade looks even better as veteran takes on new role

Ahead of the 2025 campaign, there are plenty of questions about how effective Randy Arozarena is going to be for the Seattle Mariners, which is fair just based off last year.

From looking thoroughly disengaged and uninterested at times in Seattle to having the worst offensive season of his time in the Majors, he has plenty to prove going into his second season with the Mariners.

The early signs are promising, with hopes for a bounce-back year as bright as the platinum blond locks Arozarena was sporting when he arrived in Peoria for spring training. He appears more invested than ever, seemingly buying into the hype that suggests his combination with Julio Rodríguez and Victor Robles could make for one of the best outfields in all of baseball.

However, it goes deeper than that, with Arozarena taking on a new role which seems to have helped reinvigorate him. He has stepped forward as the Mariners' newest mentor, taking Lazaro Montes under his wing to help the young prospect's quest to become a big hit — quite literally — in the Majors.

Randy Arozarena embraces mentorship role for the Mariners

There was an immediate natural connection between the two players, with them both hailing from Cuba and being fiercely proud of their background. They spent time together training in Miami during the offseason, with the duo being extremely supportive of each other.

MLB Pipeline has the slugging Montes ranked as the No. 42 prospect in baseball, and Arozarena is convinced the youngster is going to be something special.

Speaking through Mariners interpreter Freddy Llanos, Arozarena told Adam Jude of The Seattle Times: "I think he's going to be one of the best at this game very soon...If he continues on the right path, he's going to be in the Majors really soon, and he can become a star if he continues that consistency that he's been doing."

Whilst appreciating that it is just spring training, certainly the signs are there with Montes, with him putting in a tremendous showing in Cactus League play. Through seven games, he is leading the Mariners with a 1.837 OPS. He is tied for the team lead with two home runs.

Montes is appreciative of what Arozarena has done for him, both personally and for the Cuban community as a whole. Also as per Jude, he said: "One of the things for us as Cubans that we carry, is how competitive we are. And to see [Arozarena] bring that to the Major Leagues, that's something I've really admired. Because bringing something from our culture to this league, it's special."

Mariners need the old Randy Arozarena back

Mariners fans will of course hope that taking on a new role will help Arozarena experience a resurgence and return to the form he showed in Tampa Bay. The ability is clearly there, as evidenced by him being an All-Star just two years ago and previously being name ALCS MVP in 2020.

Arozarena is the first to admit he wasn't at his best last season, with him unsettled after so long living and playing in Tampa Bay and then having to move across the country to the Pacific Northwest. However, he insists he's now feeling a lot better, as he told Jude: "I'm very happy. It was a big change for me, but I'm here with the team now and you [can] tell they really want to win. They really want to fight. They want to get back into the playoffs."

Along these lines, Arozarena could play a key role in this quest to return to the playoffs. And although it is still very early, the signs lead you to believe he will be extremely beneficial to the Mariners in 2025, in part by providing motivation and support for Montes' development.

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