The most talked about position leading up to this year’s trade deadline that the Phillies were rumored to be going after was the outfield. We heard names like Luis Robert Jr., Cody Bellinger, Lane Thomas, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Brent Rooker and Randy Arozarena.
The Phillies had legitimate interest in Arozarena before he was dealt to the Seattle Mariners.
Phillies smartly walked away from a Randy Arozarena trade
The Phillies wanted to acquire a right-handed bat in the outfield that would give manager Rob Thomson a better option against lefties, Arozarena would’ve checked that box off.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies did have discussions (subscriptions required) with the Tampa Bay Rays about the outfielder. Those discussions ended when the Rays wanted a top prospect in return.
Arozarena is having a down year at the plate, but the 2023 All-Star would’ve provided a boost to the Phillies lineup. Brandon Marsh is batting just .154 with a .393 OPS against left-handers this season. Arozarena is batting .261 with a .903 OPS and six home runs against lefties.
The Mariners gave up two prospects in right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins and outfielder Aidan Smith as well as a player to be named later. This was clearly a price that the Phillies were not willing to pay for the 29-year-old outfielder.
Dave Dombrowski pivoted to former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays instead. Hays might not be the household name that Arozarena is, but he provides the Phillies with exactly what they were looking for. The 29-year-old is a right-handed bat that has had success against lefties. He’s slashing .313/.378/.478 with an .856 OPS in 67 at-bats against lefties this season. Hays was also an All-Star in 2023, like Arozarena, and he’s under team control through the 2025 season.
Would it have been fun to see a blockbuster trade go down to bring Arozarena to Philly? Yes, but Dombrowski filled a need with Hays at what most likely was a cheaper price.