MLB 21st century face of the franchise — Tampa Bay Rays: Randy Arozarena
Have the Tampa Bay Rays done enough by now that we can get past the idea of Kevin Kiermaier as the face of the franchise?
The answer is yes, they have.
No offense to Keirmaier, who gave the Rays 10 nice seasons before signing this winter with the Toronto Blue Jays.
But Kiermaier, while an exceptional defender and a credible batsman, comes up short in one important category…he is not an inspirational figure. For the past few seasons, Kiermaier has had one teammate who delivers in all the tangible categories and also excites the fan base.
That player, of course, is outfielder Randy Arozarena.
Arozarena arrived late in 2019, sparkled through the 2020 short season and World Series, and since then has established himself in the middle of the Rays’ offensive plans. In 2022, he led the team in hits, runs scored, doubles, homers, RBIs, stolen bases, slugging average and total bases.
It was the second consecutive year that Arozarena led his team in hits, doubles and steals.
The question going forward is whether the Rays front office can work enough magic to tie up their franchise star beyond 2026, when he becomes a free agent. As Arozarena continues to establish himself as the face of the Rays, his value on the open market increases.
In the wings: If Arozarena remains in Tampa Bay, there’s no need to envision a successor because he’ll be the guy for the foreseeable future. If, however, he leaves, then what?
The best possibility is Wander Franco, signed by the Rays as an international free agent in 2017, when he was just 16 years old. Unlike Arozarena, the Rays have locked up Franco through 2033.
Franco was a 2.6 WAR player (good but not great) in 2022, but he plays a pivotal defensive position, shortstop.