The Baltimore Orioles have acquired left-handed hitting outfielder Seth Smith from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for right-handed starter Yovani Gallardo.
Smith, 34, fills the Orioles need for a lefty bat that can play both corner outfield spots. Smith hit .249/.342/.415 with 15 doubles, 16 home runs and 63 runs batted in over 438 plate appearances in 2016.
Gallardo, 30, went 6-8 with a 5.42 ERA, 1.585 WHIP and an ugly 1.39 SO/BB ratio for the Orioles in 118 innings this past season.
The trade also helps the Orioles save around $4 million.
Previous Report – 12:00 PM
The Baltimore Orioles are intent on adding a left-handed hitting bat according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. They’ve shown interest in corner infield free agent Luis Valbuena, but prefer someone with outfield experience.
Of course, Jay Bruce fits what the Orioles are looking for, and the New York Mets have been actively shopping the outfielder this offseason.
Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, reports that the Mets will have to include cash to trade Bruce, but that the return could still be minimal.
Original Report – Dec 30
The Baltimore Orioles remain willing to trade right-handed reliever Brad Brach. However, they want a significant return for the set-up man according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.
The Orioles continue to look for a power bat to help fortify their lineup and remain interested in bringing back Mark Trumbo. They’ve also shown interest in left-handed hitting outfielder Michael Saunders.
Earlier this offseason it was reported that the Mets and Orioles had talked trade, but the O’s were more interested in Curtis Granderson than Jay Bruce. The Mets also showed interest the 30-year old Brach during those discussions.
Brach has been very strong out of the bullpen for the Orioles. Since 2014, he has gone 22-8 with a 2.61 ERA. In 220.2 innings he has struck out 235 batters and walked 88. He would be a big addition to the Mets bullpen, providing strong set up for Addison Reed and Jeurys Familia.
Brach made $1.25 million in 2016 and is under team control for two more years through arbitration.
