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Aside from Luis Arraez, trade deadline addition Ryan O’Hearn is the most notable free agent position player the San Diego Padres have.
O’Hearn joined forces with Ramon Laureano, the outfielder who hit the ball well and helped cover their major need at the position.
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Both players arrived via a trade with the Baltimore Orioles, and while the Padres picked up a team option on Laureano, all accounts indicate that O’Hearn will be leaving this winter and signing with another team.
The left-handed power hitter can serve as a designated hitter and offer good value, though he can also fill in at corner outfield positions or first base.
He made his first All-Star team thanks to his performance with the Orioles, where he hit 13 home runs in 94 games, slashing .283/.374/463 along with 43 RBIs. His stint out east was worth 2.0 bWAR.
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With the Padres, he struggled to match this production, hitting .276/.350/.387 with four home runs and 20 RBIs over 50 games, valued at 0.4 bWAR.
San Diego rarely used O’Hearn initially, but his production against right-handed pitchers made him a must-play for Mike Shildt, who was reluctant to give him a chance initially.
The trade with Baltimore was a decisive win-now move, as president of baseball operations A.J. Preller went aggressive at the deadline, though it didn’t make a difference come October, and now O’Hearn will likely leave.
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ESPN’s MLB expert David Schoenfield predicts that O’Hearn will land with the Pittsburgh Pirates and give him a solidified role that will ensure a high volume of plate appearances.
“The Pirates were reportedly very in on Josh Naylor, so the logical transition won’t be Alonso or Bellinger, but the next tier down, which is O’Hearn,” Schoenfield predicted.
“The Orioles viewed O’Hearn as a platoon hitter, but he played more regularly against lefties last season and hit .278/.358/.474 against them in 109 plate appearances.
“It’s a small sample size, but he showed enough that he deserves the opportunity to play every day. And the Pirates are the team to give him that opportunity.”
The Padres are expected to have a limited free agent budget, so unless O’Hearn’s market drops significantly, he will likely sign elsewhere. However, they will at least retain some part of the trade through Laureano.
