The Seattle Mariners were in trouble on July 26.
The Astros had caught up in the standings, the Mariners’ 10-game lead in the division having disappeared in historic fashion. Seattle had scored 390 runs to that point, last in the American League and 28th in the majors. Its .216/.298/.362 batting line was among the worst in baseball. General manager Justin Hollander and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto needed to find a way to inject life into a moribund lineup.
Enter outfielder Randy Arozarena. The Mariners acquired Arozarena from the Rays on July 26, hoping that he would provide that desperately needed boost. He had struggled prior to the trade, posting a disappointing .211/.318/.394 batting line in his 409 plate appearances for the Rays, hitting 15 homers and 19 doubles while stealing 16 bases.
The Mariners had reason to believe that Arozarena could be the missing piece. He began to heat up once the calendar flipped to June, posting a .284/.397/.507 batting line in his 179 plate appearances before the trade, hitting seven homers and 12 doubles. That was the Arozarena the Mariners were looking to trade for.
Arozarena has continued his hot hitting. He has produced a .306/.452/.469 batting line in his 62 plate appearances with the Mariners entering Monday, hitting a home run and five doubles. His presence has boosted Seattle’s offense; the Mariners have posted a .234/.334/.432 batting line since July 26, their 87 runs the seventh most in the majors.
The Mariners have also shaken off their midseason malaise. Seattle has a 10-5 record with Arozarena, keeping pace with the Astros for the AL West.