PADS GET OF SMITH FOR RP GREGERSON
The San Diego Padres acquired outfielder Seth Smith from the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Luke Gregerson.
What does it give the San Diego Padres
This is a bit of a strange deal for San Diego, mostly because they already had plenty of outfield depth: {P Carlos Quentin}, {P Cameron Maybin}, {P Wil Venable}, {P Chris Denorfia}, {P Kyle Banks} and {P Alexi Amarista}. However, Quentin is coming off knee problems, Maybin was injury-riddled in 2013, Venable and Denorfia are mostly platoon types, Banks' best position is first base and Amarista is an infielder by trade. Therefore, Smith may wind up platooning in right field with either Denorfia or Banks in 2014.
What does it give the Oakland Athletics
The A's are reshaping their bullpen nicely heading into 2014, as Gregerson should immediately step into the setup role in the eighth inning, in front of fellow newcomer {P Jim Johnson}. Oakland also has lefty {P Sean Doolittle} and righty {P Ryan Cooke} for added depth. Losing Smith will be eased by the fact Oakland recently acquired outfielder {P Craig Gentry} from Texas. Smith did a lot of DH work with the A's, but {P Brandon Moss} is capable of filling that role and is coming off a great '13 campaign.
Fantasy impact
Smith's playing time will determine whether his fantasy value gets a boost in San Diego, but it should be noted that he is familiar with the National League West as a former member of the Colorado Rockies. Therefore, he could do well as a platoon outfielder for the Padres. As for Gregerson, he had more upside in San Diego in front of the more fragile {P Huston Street} than the durable Johnson. That said, he should be moving to a stronger team with more hold chances in 2014.
