Rays’ Randy Arozarena among Silver Slugger Award finalists

ST. PETERSBURG — Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena is among the finalists for a Silver Slugger Award for the second straight season.

Arozarena hit .263 with 20 homers, 89 RBIs and a .773 OPS, including 41 doubles and 32 stolen bases. Overall, it was one of the most productive offensive performances in Rays history; no other Ray had reached the 20-homer, 30-steal, 40-double level.

Arozarena is among 10 finalists for the three American League outfielder awards in voting done by league managers and coaches, with the winners announced on Nov. 10.

The other outfield finalists, in order announced, are: Aaron Judge, Yankees; Julio Rodríguez, Mariners; Tampa native Kyle Tucker, Astros; Mike Trout, Angels; George Springer, Blue Jays; Taylor Ward, Angels; Anthony Santander, Orioles; Adolis García, Rangers; Teoscar Hernández, Blue Jays.

Arozarena was among three Rays finalists last year, when he hit .274 with 20 homers, 69 RBIs and an .815 OPS. He was joined by catcher Mike Zunino and designated hitter Nelson Cruz.

No Rays were among the finalists for the Players Choice Awards, also announced Thursday. Finalists for AL Outstanding Pitcher ahead of Tampa Bay lefty Shane McClanahan were Dylan Cease of the White Sox, Alek Manoah of the Blue Jays and Justin Verlander of the Astros. No Rays won Fielding Bible awards for defensive excellence either.

Scouting department changes

Following Rob Metzler’s departure for an assistant general manager job in Detroit, national crosschecker Chuck Ricci was promoted to director of amateur scouting and David Hamlett to assistant director.

Ricci, 53, has been with the Rays since 2013, serving essentially as their highest-ranking amateur scout. He previously scouted and was a regional crosschecker for Cleveland and pitched briefly for the Phillies during an 11-year career spent mostly in the minors. Hamlett, 30, has been with the Rays since February 2017 in different scouting roles. Metzler held the top spot for seven years, and had been with the team for 15.

“We’re lucky to have a talented amateur staff that’s prepared for greater duties and it starts with Chuck. He’s approachable, collaborative, and as a leader he will bring out the very best in our operation,” baseball operations president Erik Neander said in a statement.

“David has a wide range of talents. He’s made the most of his experiences and we’re excited to see him flourish with more responsibility.”

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