O'S ADD SETH SMITH, MOVE GALLARDO TO M'S
The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Seattle Mariners for pitcher Yovani Gallardo and cash.
What does it give the Baltimore Orioles
This off-season the O's allowed designated hitters Pedro Alvarez and Steve Pearce to leave via free agency, and Smith can help fill some of the void they leave. His bat replaces some of Alvarez's lefty pop, and his ability to play a handful of positions somewhat makes up for the loss of Pearce's versatility. Expect him to get most--if not all--of Baltimore's designated hitter at-bats.
What does it give the Seattle Mariners
Righty Gallardo brings a solid and clutch veteran starting pitching presence to Seattle. He's no longer the dominant ace-type he looked like earlier in his career, but he can be useful to the Mariners in mentoring their younger starters and eating up innings in the middle-to-back of the rotation. The cash helps pay for the discrepancy in salaries between Gallardo and Smith.
Fantasy impact
Smith gets a fantasy upgrade in moving from Seattle's pitcher-friendly home park to the hitter-happier one in Baltimore. He also looks likely to see more at-bats with the Orioles than he did as a Mariners platoon guy (although a platoon is still possible for Smith). The move should equally help Gallardo, who may be poised for a rebound campaign in a park that can help him. That said, both players are more 'fantasy fill-in' types at this point of their careers than draftable options. Their respective arrivals don't affect any other significant regulars in either lineup.
