The San Diego Padres have agreed to a trade that will send outfielder Seth Smith to the Seattle Mariners for right-handed pitcher Brandon Maurer.
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com first reported the deal was done:
The Mariners would later confirm the trade.
Smith, 32, had been garnering interest from the Mariners throughout the MLB offseason. The deal picked up steam in recent days, with Bob Nightengale of USA Today reporting earlier Tuesday that Maurer was San Diego’s prime target.
Smith hit .266/.367/.440 with 12 home runs and 48 RBI last season, his first with the Padres. His 2.6 wins above replacement (FanGraphs formula) was the second best of his career, as he made significant strides with his plate discipline. After flashing pop and patience with Colorado, Smith had regressed over a two-season stint in Oakland before landing with the Padres.
Drew Silva of Hardball Talk has an interesting stat on Smith that may come as a surprise to many:
Maurer, 24, is a strong, right-handed flamethrower who has yet to taste much big league success. He has a 5.58 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across 159.2 career innings. The Mariners brought him up as a starter in 2013 before slowly converting him into a full-time reliever prior to the 2014 All-Star break. It’s likely the Padres will move him back to the starting rotation at first given his age and physical tools.
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