Friday Bantering: Orioles Acquire Seth Smith For Yovani Gallardo

The Baltimore Orioles have sent Yovani Gallardo and cash considerations to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Seth Smith. Gallardo, 30, is coming off a terrible year after posting a 5.42 ERA in 23 starts. The Mariners will bet on him to regain his control, as his walk rate skyrocketed to 11.6% last season, or 4.65 per 9 innings pitched.

Smith makes his impact as a platoon player, as he owns a career .355 OBP against right-handed pitching. His ability to draw a walk makes him a strong fit to hit at the top of a lineup, and he can also hit 10-15 home runs per season. The major question surrounding Smith is his defence, as he was worth -7 defensive runs saved last season, and -8 by Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR).

Smith could replace Mark Trumbo as the team's designated hitter next season, but I'd expect him to continue to play a corner outfield position going forward. With Adam Jones and Hyun-Soo Kim already in the fold, the Orioles could possess a horrible outfield defence yet again, and the Blue Jays will definitely possess an advantage in this regard.

I wonder if the Blue Jays were interested in Smith as a left-handed hitting partner to Melvin Upton Jr. Michael Saunders remains a free agent, and this deal could take the Orioles out of the running in that regard. With Gallardo out of the picture, the Orioles could start the season with a rotation of: Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Wade Miley.