One of the biggest trades in the Jerry Dipoto era has finally been completed. At the trade deadline, with a ton of expectations that this offense would add a few sluggers, Dipoto was able to finally pry away Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays. This may be the best bat that Dipoto has acquired in his tenure with the Seattle Mariners, and it was a good one.
In exchange for Arozarena, the Rays acquired two prospects: Aidan Smith (a 2023 fourth-round pick that received an above-slot signing bonus) and Brody Hopkins (a 2023 sixth-round pick).
But there was also a “player to be named later” involved. Smith and Hopkins were both young and further away from the big leagues, lightening the blow of the return slightly. However, these were prospects that Dipoto constantly raved about, and they have looked good early in their careers.
Mariners-Randy Arozarena trade has been finalized, with player to be named later finally revealed
While Smith and Hopkins were the centerpieces of this blockbuster trade, many kept wondering who the PTBNL would be when the time came. Some suspected former Alabama Crimson Tide commit, Walter Ford, to be an option for the Rays. Others thought that the team may have the opportunity to select a possible hidden gem in Teddy McGraw, who was expected to be the staff ace at Wake Forest before an injury ended his season before it could begin.
Including one of those high-upside pitchers would have hurt, as the Mariners don’t have a ton of pitching depth in their farm, but it still would have been worth it to get someone like Arozarena. However, it has been revealed that the player to be named later is another 2023 draftee: right-handed pitcher Ty Cummings.
Cummings was the seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft out of Campbell University and made his pro debut in 2024 in High-A Everett. He was immediately able to eat up innings, throwing 116 2/3 frames with a 4.17 ERA. He doesn’t possess elite stuff, but he can control the zone fairly well.
The upside of Cummings doesn’t match that of Hopkins, but this is a solid depth prospect with the potential to work into the back of a rotation. The Rays always find a diamond in the rough when making trades, so you never know, but this really ended up being a favorable deal for the Mariners based on what they needed.
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