Baltimore Orioles trade for Mark Trumbo

The Baltimore Orioles have swung a trade with Seattle for first baseman/outfielder Mark Trumbo.

The Baltimore Orioles yesterday traded for first baseman/outifielder Mark Trumbo, formerly of Seattle. In return, the O’s gave up third catcher, Steve Clevenger, also a Baltimore native (for whatever that’s worth). Trumbo was expected to be non-tendered by Seattle, so a second player is also expected to come back to the Orioles as a result – that detail hasn’t been finalized as of yet. However the main details of the deal (Trumbo and Clevenger) are done, pending a physical.

Before this goes any further, let me state for the record that this in no way means that the Orioles aren’t re-signing Chris Davis. Trumbo may be a first baseman, but he’s also an outfielder. If Davis lands elsewhere at the end of the day, Trumbo is an insurance policy. If he stays in Baltimore, Trumbo can fill in as a corner outfielder, and/or be the Orioles’ primary DH. So it’s a win-win for the Orioles, who have said that Davis is their primary goal this off season.

Trumbo is a career .250 hitter, who’s averaged 31 home runs per season over the course of his career. He was drafted by Anaheim, who traded him to Arizona following the 2013 season. Last year he was traded to Seattle in the middle of the year, and now he’s headed to Baltimore.

Courtesy of Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

It’s worth nothing that the three teams for which Trumbo has played have all called pitcher’s parks home. For the first time in his career, Trumbo will be playing 81 games in a ballpark that’s considered a hitter’s paradise – Oriole Park at Camden Yards. That of course doesn’t necessarily mean that his production will grow, but it’s not anything that could be negatively spun, needless to say.

From the outset, it appears that the Orioles won this trade – and big time at that. While Trumbo’s no Chris Davis, his bat does have a decent amount of pop. If he can smack 20-30 homers a year, you’re in good shape. And the Orioles only had to give up a third catcher (who spent a lot of time in the minors) to get Trumbo. While Clevenger is a local kid and he had a few decent moments here in Baltimore, that’s probably a steal for the Orioles.

However the true test of who won this trade will probably be in who the Orioles put around Trumbo. If Davis is back playing first base, then it turns into an awesome deal for the Birds. Similarly the same is true if they can manage to keep Parra in right field, or pick up a corner outfielder. However the O’s also have to upgrade their pitching, which could be the true test.

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But that aside, the trade does appear to be lopsided in favor of the O’s. Anytime you can get a guy like that and surrender only a backup catcher, I think you’re in good shape. Seattle was looking for some payroll relief as well, given that Trumbo is expected to ake in the neighborhood of $9 million next year. This certainly will be a tough pill to swallow for Clevenger, who’s a native of Pigtown in Baltimore. Most players don’t get the opportunity to play for their hometown team, and being traded away now has to sting somewhat. However that’s part of the business of sports.

I suspect that the Orioles would prefer that Trumbo be their primary DH, as he’s somewhat suspect in the field. But that depends largely on Chris Davis, and whether he returns to the Birds. Having said that, make no mistake about the fact that this was also a message to Scott Boras, as the Orioles now have in-house options for first base if Davis lands elsewhere.

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The other knocks on Trumbo are that he strikes out too much and doesn’t have the greatest OBP. But that’s something the Orioles are willing to deal with, given the pop in his bat. Again, this deal is still pending a physical – but it’s done otherwise.

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