Baltimore is looking for outfield help following the departures of Nick Markakis and Nelson Cruz. San Diego has excess outfielders following the arrivals of Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, and Wil Myers.
Seems like a good trade match, right? Maybe.
According to Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun “dialogue continues” between the Orioles and Padres, with Seth Smith and Will Venable being Baltimore’s targets.
Smith and Venable are both left-handed hitters and Orioles manager Buck Showalter has shown himself to be a fan of platooning, so they could be especially good fits in Baltimore.
Smith hit .266 with 12 homers and an .807 OPS in 136 games this past season, which is strong production while calling pitcher-friendly Petco Park home. Venable struggled this year, but was a consistently above-average hitter from 2008-2013 and can play center field if needed.