The Seattle Mariners added a big bat late Thursday night, acquiring outfielder Randy Arozarena from the Tampa Bay Rays.

This season has been a cold one for the slugger, who was the 2021 American League Rookie of the Year and an All-Star last season. Over 99 games, he’s slashed .213/.319/.398 – career lows across the board – with 74 hits (19 doubles, 15 homers), 45 walks, and 100 strikeouts. The Cuban native has heated up over the past two months, hitting .290/.402/517 since June 1.

Arozarena, 29, won’t be a free agent until 2027. He brings impressive postseason experience from one of the last remaining MLB teams without a World Series championship, to another. The Mariners enter Friday 53-51, a game back from the Houston Astros in the AL West. The Red Sox are a game back from the third AL Wild Card, and the Mariners are hot on their heels, three and a half games out. In his first season with the Rays, Arozarena set an MLB record by hitting 10 home runs in the 2020 playoffs. His four homers against the Houston Astros in the pennant round earned him ALCS MVP, making him the first rookie position player to take home the award. By the World Series, he surpassed Pablo Sandoval’s record for hits in a single playoff run. Among players with at least 100 career plate appearances in the postseason, Arozarena’s .690 slugging percentage is only outdone by Babe Ruth (.744) and Lou Gehrig (.731).

“Randy is a dynamic, high-energy all-around player who has excelled in the biggest moments on the biggest stages. He’s going to be a great addition to our clubhouse and lineup,” Mariners general manager Justin Hollander told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.

The Mariners are sending two of their top prospects – outfielder Aidan Smith, ranked No. 12 by MLB Pipeline, and righty Brody Hopkins (No. 22) – and a player-to-be-named-later to the Rays.