ST. PETERSBURG – Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena has reunited with his younger brother Raiko who has signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, also owned by the Rays ownership group.
Raiko joins the team as a goalkeeper, presumably to provide cover for Evan Louro, joining the club from Mexico where he has been the last three seasons. The goalkeeper has been playing for Cafetaleros de Chiapas in the third division, the Liga Premier de Mexico failing to impress enough to make the move to Cancun when the club moved it’s senior side to the Mexican Riviera to be a founding member of the Liga de Expansion MX, the new second division which cannot promote to Liga MX.
The pair grew up in Cuba, where baseball is king, ironically the two used to play the other sport, with Randy being a big soccer player in his youth but the two switched as they got older and found professional careers in their new sports.
“I‘m very happy that we’re going to be close to each other,” said Randy. “I know he’s worked and he’s sacrificed a lot to get to the position that he’s in, and I’m looking forward to see him play in a different level in a different place.”
2020 was a big season for Raiko, who played 20 matches, establishing himself in Chaipas and garnering attention from the Rowdies scouting network.
The Rowdies will no doubt be hoping having a familiar face will allow Raiko to settle quickly, and will be hoping his 2021 can match his brother’s 2020 season.
Photos: Chiapas and Tampa Bay Rays
Florida Soccer Report 