Orioles blockbuster: Ryan O'Hearn, Ramón Laureano traded to Padres

Matt Weyrich and Jacob Calvin Meyer, The Baltimore Sun on Jul 31, 2025

Published in Baseball

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BALTIMORE — The trade deadline has officially developed into a full-blown fire sale for the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore traded first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and outfielder Ramón Laureano to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, O’Hearn confirmed. The Orioles’ return wasn’t immediately clear.

O’Hearn, 31, was one of the biggest success stories of the Orioles’ current era, arriving in a cash trade with the Kansas City Royals in 2023 and transforming from a bench bat into a middle-of-the-order hitter for Baltimore. He hit .277 with 42 home runs and a .796 OPS over the past three seasons and made his first All-Star Game this summer as the starting designated hitter for the American League.

“Just definitely trying to enjoy every minute with these guys,” O’Hearn said Tuesday of the possibility of being traded. “We’ve grinded together all year long, so to potentially leave in the next few days sucks, it really does. But at the same time, I’m going to enjoy every minute with them. That’s how this game is. You form friendships and bonds with guys, and then the business side can hinder that.

“It’s been fun the last few days, and the last two weeks, three weeks, I don’t know, we’ve been playing pretty well. Just trying to soak up every moment with these guys because I care about everyone in this locker room. I really have enjoyed and still am enjoying playing with ’em.”

Laureano has surprisingly been one of the Orioles’ best hitters this season with a .290 batting average and 15 homers in 82 games. He was signed to be a platoon outfielder, but he earned more playing time because of injuries to his teammates and then vastly overperformed the one-year, $4 million contract he signed in the offseason.

The 31-year-old has a $6.5 million club option for 2026 — easily a bargain for a player that’s been worth 2.9 wins above replacement this season by Baseball-Reference’s estimation. The only Oriole with a higher WAR than Laureano is superstar Gunnar Henderson (3.7). His .884 OPS ranked first among the Orioles.

A free agent this offseason, O’Hearn is due to cash in on his career turnaround. The trade also makes him ineligible for the qualifying offer — a boost for his chances of maximizing his value on the open market. His absence creates more opportunity for playing time at first base for top infield prospect Coby Mayo and perhaps catcher/first baseman Samuel Basallo, too.

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