Philadelphia Phillies Named Suitor for Former Rookie of the Year

The Philadelphia Phillies outfield would improve in a big way if they pulled off a trade for this All-Star.

Jun 30, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; -Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena (56) runs the bases after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals in the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

With the MLB trade deadline approaching, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to add a player or two to better the roster.

Despite the success, the outfield has ways it can improve.

While game-changing outfielders are often expensive, it's something the Phillies might have to do as Johan Rojas, Cristian Pache, and others haven't done the job.

One surprise trade candidate could be Randy Arozarena, as the Tampa Bay Rays have struggled in ways they haven't for much of the past few years.

They've played better recently, going 7-3 over their last 10 games, and are only 3.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot.

However, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote that it wouldn't be surprising to see him get traded and named Philadelphia as a suitor for the former Rookie of the Year Award winner.

"The Rays have been hot and cold this season, one of the reasons they hit July 4 with a .500 record. Tampa Bay remains in the AL Wild Card race, but given Arozarena’s $8.1 million salary -- and the fact that it will likely continue to rise during his final two years of arbitration -- it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Rays shop the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year.

"Arozarena struggled badly during the first two months of the season, hitting .158 with a .568 OPS, but he turned things around in June, slashing .291/.424/.468, raising his OPS for the season by more than 100 points."

It'll be interesting to see what Arozarena's value is around the league. He hasn't played well this season in comparison to prior campaigns, slashing .197/.308/.357. However, he has 11 home runs and 14 doubles, so the power numbers are still there.

A career 121 OPS+ hitter, Arozarena's 91 OPS+ is the worst in his career by a wide margin. In each of his first five seasons, he's put up an OPS+ of at least 120.

The Phillies would be banking on him returning to that, and his 2,346 at-bat sample size indicates that he should return to form at some point.

The numbers he's posted in his playoff career are as impressive as they get. The 29-year-old is slashing .226/.414/.690 with 11 home runs in 128 at-bats.

Adding another proven bat to a Philadelphia lineup that might be the best in baseball would be scary for the rest of the league. Don't be surprised if Dave Dombrowski does just that, as this team has a legitimate chance to win a World Series.