Mariners Reportedly Shopping Seth Smith

DEC. 7: FanRag’s Jon Heyman tweets that the Mariners are more than simply open to the idea of moving Smith and are actually shopping him around. Seattle would like to free up some money to further invest in its rotation, per Heyman, who also reports that Smith nearly went to the Red Sox before Boston agreed to a deal with free agent Mitch Moreland.

DEC. 5: The Mariners are listening to offers on outfielder Seth Smith, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Indeed, the M’s have long been willing to consider moving the veteran, who’ll earn $7MM this year after his club option was picked up, according to the report.

Smith, 34, could certainly hold appeal to other organizations. Teams such as the Orioles and Blue Jays have been tied to left-handed-hitting corner outfield bats, and surely would like the idea of taking on a more limited commitment than might be found on the open market.

In all likelihood, rival teams would view Smith much in the same way the Mariners have — as a lefty platoon piece who might see 400+ plate appearances. He slashed .249/.342/.415 with 16 home runs over 438 plate appearances last year. That production fell a bit shy of his work over the prior two years, but is largely in line with his career numbers.