Boston Red Sox
“I’m guessing Boston is ready to cut a huge check for him.”
The MLB offseason is over a month away, but rumors are already spreading.
The Boston Red Sox are in the middle of one as it pertains to an outfielder.
Seattle Mariners LF Randy Arozarena is due to hit free agency after the conclusion of this year’s World Series, and Boston could make him a big offer, according to a Seattle reporter.
“(The Mariners are) going to lose their best offensive player. Randy Arozarena’s gonna be a free agent. I think we all know Randy would probably prefer to stay on the east coast,” The Seattle Times’ Ryan Divish said on Foul Territory on Friday. “I’m guessing Boston is ready to cut a huge check for him.”
Arozarena, 31, is having a career year for the Mariners. He was named an All-Star for the third time and is slashing .281/.377/.479 with an .856 OPS. He’s clubbed 25 home runs (two away from tying a career-high), scored 104 times, and driven in 63 runs across 147 games.
If he were on the 2026 Red Sox, he’d lead the club in runs and have the second-most homers behind Willson Contreras (27).
Arozarena, a Cuban native, was named the 2021 American League Rookie of the Year in 2021 as a member of the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays dealt him to Seattle in 2024, but his time to choose his next team is coming up.
Divish said he doesn’t think the Mariners will “get in a bidding war” for Arozarena once he hits the market.
If Boston were to land the right-handed hitter, they’d likely have to pay up. Arozarena could earn over $20 million annually as he’ll surely seek out a lengthy contract.
On top of the finances, the Red Sox would have to make room on their roster for the slugger. The team currently has eight outfielders on its major-league roster (Ceddanne Rafaela, Masataka Yoshida, and Eli White are on the injured list).
White and Jahmai Jones, whom Boston picked up at the trade deadline earlier this year, are both arbitration-eligible after this season. The team could non-tender one of the two to make room as one of many possible moves in a hypothetical scenario involving adding Arozarena.
Additionally, the Red Sox have reportedly attempted to trade Jarren Duran several times over the last couple of years. They could give that another go this winter and let Arozarena — who also plays LF — take his place.
Designated hitter is also an option for Arozarena. He’s DHed minimally, but given his age and Boston’s crowded outfield, it could be feasible.
Based on his career, Arozarena would be a magnificent fit at Fenway Park. In 32 career games played in Boston, he’s slashing .278/.351/.481 with an .833 OPS, five HR, 12 doubles, and 19 RBI.
Arozarena is set to hit free agency at an incredibly uncertain time in the league’s history, though. A lockout looms when the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, which would halt the ability for clubs to sign free agents.
Boston would need to move rather swiftly in acquiring Arozarena — and any other players on the trade and free agent markets— before that deadline, and until a new CBA is agreed upon. The latter could take an indefinite amount of time.
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