Randy Arozarena -- Prospect Evaluation

The Tampa Bay Rays acquired Randy Arozarena and Jose Martinez from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for prospect Matthew Liberatore and a minor league catcher. This marks the second consensus top-50 prospect the Rays have traded in under a year, creating some concern among the fanbase historically known for accumulating prospects. The Rays sought right-handed bats to complement a left-heavy lineup, with Arozarena specifically addressing their need for center field depth when Kevin Kiermaier requires rest or injury recovery.

Arozarena's background includes two seasons in Cuba's national series followed by a stint in Mexico before signing with St. Louis at age 21. Across three minor league seasons spanning 1,302 plate appearances, he maintained a .292/.377/.477 slash line, demonstrating consistent hitting ability. His power developed later, producing 12 home runs in 283 plate appearances in 2019 at the Memphis Redbirds, where he recorded an above-average 90.7 mph exit velocity and four balls in play exceeding 100 mph (maxing at 107.8 mph).

Arozarena showed particular strength against left-handed pitchers, posting a .327/.392/.558 line over 339 plate appearances. His September 2019 MLB callup yielded a .300/.391/.500 average across 23 plate appearances, providing promising early evidence of major league readiness. Defensively, he is described as adequate across all three outfield positions, fitting the Rays' versatility requirements.

The Cardinals have signed Cuban prospect Randy Arozarena for $1.25 million, according to a report from Jorge Ebro of El Nuevo Herald. The 21-year-old ranks ninth among Baseball America's top prospects still in Cuba and has experience at shortstop and outfield positions. At 5-foot-11, 170 pounds, Arozarena is a right-handed hitter with a quick stroke, strong plate discipline, and a line-drive approach. His value derives primarily from his on-base percentage rather than power potential, though scouts project he could develop 10-15 home run capability.

Arozarena demonstrated strong speed and baserunning acumen in Cuba's Serie Nacional, ranking second in stolen bases with 15 in 21 attempts. During the 2014-15 season, he batted .291/.412/.419 in 74 games with 36 walks and 37 strikeouts. More recently, while playing for the Toritos in Mexico's Northern League, he posted a .377/.466/.555 line in 296 plate appearances, leading the league in both batting average and stolen bases (42 in 54 attempts).

The Cardinals plan to assign Arozarena to high Class A, though his optimal position remains undetermined. Scouts have debated whether he fits best at shortstop, second base, or center field, with questions about his fit at premium positions. Arozarena is subject to international bonus pools; the Cardinals have already exceeded their current spending limit with other signings including outfielder Jonatan Machado, pitcher Johan Oviedo, and outfielders Victor Garcia and Carlos Soler during the 2016-17 signing period.

This article is part of Viva El Birdos's 2017 Cardinals Top Prospects series, featuring an evaluation of Randy Arozarena at #21 on their prospect rankings. The piece appears on Viva El Birdos, a community-focused Cardinals news and analysis platform affiliated with SB Nation. Unfortunately, the provided content consists primarily of website navigation elements, headers, and site structure rather than the actual prospect evaluation article text. The substantive analysis of Arozarena's skills, statistics, and prospects for advancement would appear in the main article body, which is not included in this excerpt.