The two-run home run Ryan O’Hearn belted in his first plate appearance Wednesday was a fitting goodbye to Baltimore. That turned out to be O’Hearn’s final Orioles game, as the club traded him to the San Diego Padres on Thursday, along with outfielder Ramón Laureano, sources said.
O’Hearn and Laureano resurrected their careers in Baltimore. O’Hearn is an impending free agent. Laureano has a club option for $6.5 million in 2026. ESPN and Fansided reported the trade first.
Baltimore sent cash to San Diego as part of the trade.
The Orioles are receiving a haul of six prospects from the Padres: left-hander Boston Bateman, right-handers Tyson Neighbors and Tanner Smith, infielders Cobb Hightower and Brandon Butterworth, and infield/outfielder Victor Figueroa.
Bateman is the biggest get — literally. The 6-foot-8 southpaw ranked as the Padres’ fourth-best prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. Hightower, who plays middle infield, ranked sixth.
O’Hearn blossomed from a cash-considerations trade acquisition to an All-Star this year. The first baseman credited the Orioles for believing in him, and he repaid that with 2 1/2 standout seasons.
Laureano fixed his swing last year after he was released by the Cleveland Guardians and turned into a trade chip by hitting .290 with an .884 OPS for Baltimore. It took a subtle tweak, turning his hips and feet toward the plate slightly to create a closed stance and stride.
O’Hearn wasn’t an overnight success, of course. Shortly after the Orioles acquired him from the Kansas City Royals, he was designated for assignment and cleared waivers. O’Hearn arrived in Sarasota, Florida, as a spring training invite, one of multiple first basemen hoping to make the bench. He didn’t break the opening day roster, but once the Orioles called him up, O’Hearn crafted a role for himself and grew into an All-Star performer this year.
O’Hearn is hitting .283. The home run he hit in the first inning of Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays was his 13th of the season. As a versatile fielder (first base and corner outfield), O’Hearn drew interest from multiple teams.
On Tuesday night, O’Hearn said he “had some time to kind of process and understand what is potentially about to happen.”
“Just definitely trying to enjoy every minute with these guys,” he continued. “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.”
O’Hearn added that while his mom kept tabs on all the rumors surrounding her son, he tried to separate himself from the tempest.
“It’s kind of like, if I’m leaving, let me know where I’m going, and then I’ll worry about it then,” O’Hearn said Tuesday. “I think it’s human nature. You open up Google or something and you see a picture of your face on there, and it’s like, ‘All right, like, let me check that out, I guess.’”
Laureano also said he stayed away from the rumors, but he’s now joining O’Hearn in San Diego, which has undergone immense change at the trade deadline. San Diego landed J.P. Sears and Mason Miller from the Athletics, too.
O’Hearn and Laureano fill needs. The Padres have a hole in left field where Laureano can slot in. O’Hearn can feature at first, corner outfield or designated hitter. San Diego is three games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West.
Neighbors, the Padres’ No. 12 prospect, was pitching for their Double-A affiliate, where he had a 2.57 ERA in 21 innings pitched. He’s expected to have major league stuff, with a 94-96 mph fastball, mid-80s slider, low-80s curveball and an 89-91 mph cutter, according to MLB Pipeline.
Butterworth is a versatile defender who has played second, shortstop, center field and left field for the Padres’ High-A Affiliate. A 12th-round pick in the 2024 draft, he is hitting .267 this season.
Smith, also a 2024 draft pick, was promoted from rookie league to Low-A last month. He had a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings pitched in Low-A.
The two highest-ranked prospects in the deal are Bateman and Hightower. Bateman boasts an upper-90s fastball with a 60-grade (out of 80) curveball, according to Baseball America.
And the publication notes that Hightower has a bat-first makeup and his defensive position at the highest level remains to be seen.
Figueroa, ranked 29th on MLB Pipeline’s Padres list, is a first baseman and corner outfielder. The Padres chose him in the 18th round of the 2024 draft after he produced a standout season at Florida SouthWestern State junior college.
Baltimore Banner reporter Danielle Allentuck contributed to this story.
This article has been updated.
