The Orioles swept aside the tumbleweeds rolling through their offseason, and made a move Friday. They dealt starter Yovani Gallardo to the Mariners for outfielder Seth Smith. Since there has been little Orioles related news, the O’s-centric interwebs jumped at the news, but the real question is whether this was a good trade for the Orioles, or not. To help sift through the open questions, I present these prO’s and cons.

 

 

Pro

This move proves that the Orioles front office is still alive. I was beginning to wonder.

 

Pro

At no time this season, will I want to fire Yovani Gallardo into the sun. Acquired at the expense of dollars and draft pick, Gallardo pitched only 118 innings (his first season totaling fewer than 180 IP since 2008) due to injury. When he wasn’t hurt, he wasn’t… particularly impressive.

 

Con

The Orioles’ starting pitching depth has taken a hit. Sure, Gallardo was not very good last year, but this move means that if something like… Dylan Bundy not being able to hold up to a full season… happens, then the Orioles have to turn to the likes of Mike Wright or Tyler Wilson. It means that Ubaldo Jimenez has to work in the rotation. It means that the margin of error is that much thinner for a club whose Achilles heel is the rotation.

 

Pro

This helps with a huge area of need. Let’s not fool ourselves: Smith won’t be an All Star for the Orioles, and perhaps not even a full time player, but the Orioles’ outfield depth is in such a state that we’re talking about whether the O’s can keep one or both of their Rule 5 picks (both outfielders), how much load Hyun Soo Kim and Joey Rickard can carry, whether the likes of Trey Mancini and Christian Walker can play the outfield, or whether Dariel Alvarez can play a useful role on Major League club.

In short, we’re weren’t at the point where we’re hoping on David Lough and Travis Snider… but, we weren’t that far off. Seth Smith is a definite upgrade, at the right price.

 

Pro

The O’s saved some cash in this transaction. Even with sending my favorite player, Cash Considerations, in the deal, the Orioles are reported to save about $4MM. The additional financial flexibility should make it easier for a club who is creeping up against the top of its budget to fill some needs.

 

Con

It’s likely they’ll just spend that money to out-bid themselves on bringing back Mark Trumbo, and call their offseason a success.