Rays OF Randy Arozarena's Top 10 Landing Spots amid MLB Trade Rumors | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

Nobody will soon forget when "Randy Arozarena" became a household name.

He was a semi-obscure up-and-comer when the Rays began their playoff run in 2020, but not for long. Albeit with the help of extra games, he set postseason records for hits, total bases and home runs amid a run that ended in Game 6 of the World Series.

The 28-year-old has lived up to the hype since then. He's one of only three players to top 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in each of the last three seasons, all while posting a solidly above average 124 OPS+. The Cuba native also further added to his big game credentials with a 1.507 OPS for Mexico in six appearances in this year's World Baseball Classic.

As for why the Rays would want to trade a guy like this, it's simple: their 2024 payroll is projected to stretch well beyond their established limits, and his projected $9 million salary is part of the problem. Arozarena won't hit free agency until after the 2026 season.

The fact that this is public knowledge isn't great for the Rays' leverage in trade talks, but their situation is helped by scarcity. There just aren't many impact hitters readily available in the wake of Ohtani's signing and the trade of Juan Soto.

Since the Rays aren't rebuilding following a 99-win season, one assumes they'll only trade Arozarena for help they can use right now. They have any number of needs they could look to fill, but the big ones are pitching, catching and maybe a shortstop, plus an outfielder who could step into Arozarena's shoes.

With all this in mind, let's dig into and rank 10 hypothetical landing spots for Arozarena. And to spice things up, let's pitch some actual trades along the way.