Finding Randy Arozarena

 A couple of years in what appeared to be an odd but minor trade, the St. Louis Cardinals, usually very astute in their dealings, traded Jose Martinez, Randy Arozarena and a future supplemental first round pick to Tampa Bay, a generally even more astute trader, for Matthew Liberatore, Edgardor Rodriguez and a suplemental second round draft pick.  Now I lived in St. Louis for most of my adult life and have become a fan of that team.  At the time I thought it was an odd trade but Martinez was more of a DH and I got that and Liberatore was a prized pitching prospect.  Basically Tampa was being Tampa, going to garage sales and finding treasures in someone else's excess.  The Cardinals were being the Cardinals, being proacdtive about their roster.  It seemed like an odd trade and, in fact, as a transplanted Cardinals fan I have to say I didn't like it much.  Still Liberatore was a top prospect and we all know how I like trading major league role players for top prospects.

Interestingly, I never considered Arozarena in the assets of this trade.  Maybe that is why Tampa is Tampa.  Jose Martinez hardly played in the majors again.  Rodriguez never got out of rookie ball and Liberatore is a top 100 prospect in baseball who is still scuffling to become a regular starting pitcher in the majors.

Which brings us to Arozarena.  Do you think either St. Louis or Tampa expected this?   Arozarena was signed as an udrafted free agent after his senior year in college.  Basically, that meant that he played every year as near or above age for the minor leagues he played in.  Very good stats but we know how stats in the minors for older prospects can be deceiving.   For the Cardinals to get rid of him as what appeared to be a throw-in.   Well, no one expected much.   At least I didn't.

And he didn't play much in 2020, splitting time betwen the Rays and their taxi squad team.  He did show power, hitting 7 HRs in 64 ABs

Then came the 3030 post-season.  Setting records for hittin.

The point of this post is tShat as I look around the league at the teams heading for the playoffs I see inklings of these teams looking for the next Arozarena: a guy who provides impact who the league doesn't have a book on yet.  Sort of the reverse of Juan Soto who people expect to make an impact simply because he is a star player.  A guy whose $17 mllion salary says he HAS to succeed, right?

So, yesterday, in steps Will Brennan.  He replaces Richie Palacios on the active roster.   Palacios has a role in major league baseball but, at least this year, he just looks like an extra player.   If you can replace him with a guy who is playing well, then, well, you could have a useful weapon in the playoffs.  Maybe a difference maker.  

There may never be another Randy Arozarena.  But maybe Will Brennan can make a difference is a meaningful way in the spirit of how the 2022 Cleveland Guardians play baseball.  I think that is the hope with the Guardians. Bum-of-the-month philosophy?  I don't think so, in this case.   I just see Brennan as a guy who, like Arozarena, but in a different way, can become a solid major league starter, starting right now, and make an impact on an offense that needs more juice going into the playoffs.