The Mariners have fielded talks pertaining to Randy Arozarena, but it doesn't mean he'll be dealt.
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners made their first big move of the trade deadline Saturday when they dealt three-time All-Star Luis Castillo to the Chicago White Sox in return for two minor league bats and a high-leverage reliever.
The move came after weeks of trade rumors centered around Castillo, but he hasn't been the only Mariners player that's been brought up in rumors and reports.
Castillo's former teammates on the rotation, Emerson Hancock and George Kirby, have also been mentioned as players who's availability have been inquired about.
Seattle has had a surplus of starting pitchers, but previously has been unwilling to trade from that group in past seasons. However, the Mariners entered Sunday in third place and three games out of first place in the American League West, increasing the need for the club to find a way to bolster the roster.
However, the players the Mariners' have fielded calls for haven't just been limited to the starters.
It was reported by the Seattle Times' Adam Jude and Ryan Divish that 2026 All-Star outfielder Randy Arozarena has been mentioned in trade talks.
Arozarena, who earned his second consecutive All-Star nod this season and is in the final year of his contract, is one of the team's best hitters. He's slashed .283/.378/.458 with an .836 OPS in 104 games this season and has hit 23 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs with 49 RBIs and has stolen 20 bases in 26 attempts.
The three-time career All-Star had two extra base-hits and scored the walk-off run in Seattle's 4-3 win against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday.
Arozarena's potential availability could be simply curiosity on the Mariners' part to see what they could get for the slugger. Per Jude and Divish's report, the club is "considering anything." A report on "X" from insider Francys Romero said that although Seattle is listening to offers, it's unlikely he'll be traded.
Arozarena isn't a stranger to being dealt. He was moved by the St. Louis Cardinals to the Tampa Bay Rays on Jan. 9, 2020. The Rays traded him to the Mariners on July 26, 2024.
If Arozarena is stressed or worried about being traded a third time in his career, he isn't showing it.
"As a player, you can't really control what the front office is going to do," Arozarena said in a postgame interview Saturday via interpreter Freddy Llanos. "As a player, you can just go out there and perform and do the best you can. I've been a guy that's been traded quite (a few times) in my career, so, you just got to go out there and do what you can."
The Mariners (54-58) will finish out the series with the Twins on Sunday at 1:10 p.m. PT. The trade deadline is Monday at 3 p.m. PT.
