Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Star Projected To Land $113 Million Deal; Will It Happen?

Former St. Louis Cardinals players, especially former homegrown talents, have been successful after venturing off to new teams over the last decade.

For instance, Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen and Miami Marlins Cy Young recipient Sandy Alcantara started their careers with St. Louis but were abruptly traded for Atlanta Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna, now one of the most potent hitters in the league.

A Seattle Mariners outfielder, who also found his first major league opportunity with the Cardinals, is projected to receive a significant pay raise this winter.

Mariners All-Star slugger Randy Arozarena is entering his third year of arbitration. Still, depending on what Seattle has planned for the talented outfielder, he could be signed to a long-term contract with a market value of roughly $113 million over a five-year deal, according to Spotrac's projections based on comparable players' signings.

Arozarena batted .300 with two extra-base hits including one home run, two RBIs and a .891 OPS in 19 games played for St. Louis in 2019 but was traded that offseason to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for Edgardo Rodriguez, Matthew Liberatore and a 2020 supplemental second-round pick.

After leaving St. Louis, Arozarena won the 2020 American League AL Championship Series MVP award, 2021 AL Rookie of the Year and appeared in the 2023 All-Star game for the Rays.

The Cuban-born veteran has logged a .253/.346/.435 slash line with 226 extra-base hits including 90 home runs and 312 RBIs since being traded from the Cardinals.

Seattle's offense was non-existent in the second half of 2024 but Arozarena remained consistent. The 29-year-old has been one of the most reliable outfielders in the league over the last four seasons and it wouldn't be shocking to see the Mariners commit to him long-term and pay him the considerable amount he's worth.