Well, lookee what we found in the MLB flea market bin!  One of those Mallex Smiths!  Hot dang!*

From MLBTR:   8:23pm: The Mariners and Rays are closing in on a trade that would send catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Guillermo Heredia to Tampa Bay in exchange for outfielder Mallex Smith, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that in addition to Smith, Zunino and Heredia, there are two minor leaguers involved in the deal — one on each side of the trade. More specifically, MLB.com’s Greg Johns tweets that the Rays will acquire a minor league pitcher, while the Mariners will add a minor league outfielder. Deal is pending physicals, of course.

*Of course, Smith didn't come at a Five-Finger Discount, we game up decent stuff.

All in all, however, I love this trade.  We got a guy who has had 4.6 oWAR over the past three years , 1.4 dWAR, and just finished a season where he hit .296-.367-.406.  Since he had part-time duty in '16-'17, shose 6 WAR come in two full seasons of PA's.  You will remember that Smith was ours for about 6 seconds two years ago, before we gave him away for next to nothing.  Or maybe it was Drew Smyly? Ah....same difference.

Some of us were particularly miffed about that trade.  Count me as one of them.  I love this one.  I wanted Smith then.

I've been ready to let Heredia go for a bag of balls and some pinetar, so I find no particular loss there.  Zunino, on the other hand, is a loss.  But to get something pretty, we had to give up something of value.  Zunino's glove is certainly of value.  If he can figure out how not to KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK, his bat is something really nice for a C.  That's a big "If", however.  This past seasons was not encouraging.  

Smith won't hit the ball out of many parks, but he gets on base 36% of the time vs. RHP, just killed lefties to a .800+ tune, and can pick it in the field.  Oh...he comes dollar cheap, too.

It will be interesting to see who we get as the MiLB OF and which farm arm we give up.........but I don't really car THAT much.  I like this deal.

Now, who else (someone young and blingy) are we going to get for Paxton in the trade we make with the Yankees  for Sonny Gray?**

Sort of kidding.  But I bet we trade Paxton and the Yankees seem like the logical place.