The disappointing Baltimore Orioles have shipped out one in all their high rental gamers. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano are headed to the San Diego Padres, the staff introduced Thursday.
The O’s obtained six prospects again within the commerce: lefty Boston Bateman, righties Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith, and infielders Cobb Hightower, Brandon Butterworth, and Victor Figueroa.
O’Hearn, 31, was an All-Star this 12 months thanks no less than partially because of the Rafael Devers commerce liberating up the DH spot within the American League. The left-handed hitter is a high-end platoon bat, with an OPS approaching .900 in opposition to righties. In opposition to lefties although, his OPS is within the 600s, and Orioles often had O’Hearn on the bench in opposition to southpaws.
Acquired in a money commerce with the Kansas City Royals in January 2023, O’Hearn is a serious participant improvement win for the O’s. He was a .219/.293/.390 hitter in components of 5 seasons with the Royals, comfortably beneath common for a nook bat, then the Orioles had been capable of retool his swing and get three very productive years from him. Now they traded him for worth.
Laureano, in the meantime, is hitting .290/.355/.529 with 15 house runs in one of the best offensive season of his profession. The 31-year-old is one other success for the O’s hitting of us after he spent the previous few years as a league average-ish platoon bat. O’Hearn is a rental. Laureano’s contract features a team-friendly $6.5 million membership choice for 2026. That appears prone to get picked up.
The Padres badly wanted lineup depth and bought it in a single commerce. Getting into play Thursday, San Diego ranked twenty fifth in left subject WAR and twenty seventh in DH WAR. Laureano can be a sizeable improve in left each offensively and defensively, and getting O’Hearn to DH is without doubt one of the single greatest upgrades the Padres might have made this commerce deadline.
As for the Orioles, this commerce continues a sale that has additionally seen them ship out righties Bryan Baker (Tampa Bay Rays) and Andrew Kittredge (Chicago Cubs), outfielder Cedric Mullins and lefty Gregory Soto (New York Mets), and infielder Ramon Urías (Houston Astros). Starters Zach Eflin and Charlie Morton might nonetheless be moved as nicely.
Bateman, 19, was a second-round choose in final 12 months’s draft and essentially the most important prospect within the commerce. Baseball America ranked him the sixth finest prospect in San Diego’s farm system of their midseason replace. Their scouting report says “he tasks as a possible No. 3 or 4 starter” long-term.
That is San Diego’s second notable deal of the day — they landed star closer Mason Miller in a trade with the Athletics. The Padres enter play Thursday within the third wild card spot at 60-49. The O’s are 50-59.