Trade grade, instant reaction to Mariners' shocking Randy Arozarena deal

The insta-reaction to the Mariners trading for Randy Arozarena last night was surprise, elation, and excitement. A team that so badly needed an influx of offense went out and got it, and in true Dipoto/Hollander fashion, they did it when no one was expecting it. Now that we've had a night to sit on it and think about it, it was time to give our reaction with a bit more logical though process.

Guess what? It's still incredibly exciting, and we are arguably more excited about it this morning than we were seeing it happen last night. Seeing what the Mariners ended up giving up in the deal makes it so much better, as it really wasn't much. Aidan Smith and Brody Hopkins are good players, but knowing that the Mariners were able to acquire an impact bat for their #12 and #23 prospects seems like a massive win for the team.

The Mariners seem to have stolen Randy Arozarena

I don't think that you can call this anything but an "A" for the Seattle Mariners. They got a high-level and impactful bat for their outfield, instantly fixing one of the biggest holes on their team. Arozarena isn't a great defender, but has shown flashes in the past of playing average defense. A common excerpt last night was that he is having a down season, but the last 40 games show he is really turning it on after slashing .290/.402/.517 with 12 doubles, 7 homers, and a K rate of only 19.5%.

Meanwhile, it seems like the Rays got swindled. We talked a lot about Arozarena in the offseason, and how he could be a target since the Rays would be looking to offload salary. He has 2.5 years left of team control, so there was a lot of value available to offset his ARB2 and ARB3 seasons. When the deal came through, it was fully expected that the Mariners would have gotten rid of a top-ten prospect. Instead, at #12 and #23, it seems like the Mariners only had to barely dip into their system to get the deal done.

Could the Rays have gotten more? Or were they truly cornered by teams knowing that the Rays needed to offload salary? The grade could always get better after seeing who the PTBNL turns out to be, but for now, it seems like an oversight by the Rays and a deal in which they could've gotten more, so I give them a B-.

I'm still quite excited about this deal, even more so when you sit and realize that this truly does look like not just "the" move that the Mariners are going to make at this year's deadline, but instead as "the first" move that they will be making. Only a few days are left until the trade deadline, so buckle up Mariners fans, it's gonna be a fun ride.