Now that the holidays are over, the hot stove is active once again.

Friday afternoon the Orioles and Mariners got together for relatively small one-for-one trade. Outfielder Seth Smith goes to Baltimore for right-hander Yovani Gallardo. The O's are also sending cash to Seattle to help cover Gallardo's contract. Both teams have announced the trade.

"Gallardo gives us the veteran presence that we have been searching for," said Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto in a statement. "He has a track record of durability and success as a starting pitcher. After examining the free agent and trade market, Yovani is the best fit for our club as we move forward this offseason."

"Seth Smith brings veteran leadership, experience and an accomplished bat to the Orioles," said Orioles GM Dan Duquette. "We look forward to him contributing to the 2017 club."

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The Mariners will be Yovani Gallardo's fourth team in the last four years. USATSI

Gallardo, 30, went 6-8 with a 5.42 ERA (82 ERA+) in 23 starts and 118 innings for the O's in 2016. He also missed time with a shoulder problem. Gallardo originally agreed to a three-year deal with the Orioles, but the team reduced their offer to two years plus an option after seeing something they didn't like in his physical.

The Mariners have now traded away one (Taijuan Walker) and acquired three (Gallardo, Chris Heston, Rob Whalen) starting pitchers this offseason. Their rotation depth chart looks like this at the moment:

  1. Felix Hernandez
  2. Hisashi Iwakuma
  3. James Paxton
  4. Yovani Gallardo
  5. Ariel Miranda
  6. Nathan Karns
  7. Chris Heston
  8. Rob Whalen

This is the second Orioles-Mariners trade in the last sixth months. Prior to the 2016 trade deadline, the O's sent Miranda to Seattle for left-hander Wade Miley. Miley joins Kevin Gausman, Chris Tillman, Dylan Bundy, and Ubaldo Jimenez in Baltimore's rotation following the Gallardo deal.

Smith, 34, has been a reliable left-handed platoon bat for years now. He hit .249/.342/.415 (108 OPS+) with 16 home runs in 2016, including .256/.351/.431 (112 OPS+) against right-handed pitching. All 16 of Smith's homers a year ago came against northpaws.

Seth Smith will enjoy the hitter friendly parks in the AL East. USATSI

The O's are pretty thin in the outfield and Smith will help solve that. Adam Jones is entrenched in center and Hyun Soo Kim is over in left. Smith is among those who will see time in right as well as DH. Joey Rickard and Rule 5 Draft picks Aneury Tavarez and Anthony Santander are also in the mix.

It's worth noting the Orioles saved a decent chunk of change with his move, despite sending some money to the Mariners.

The Orioles are still hoping to retain Mark Trumbo, and while $4 million won't be enough to sign him, it does give them more flexibility. They could also seek out a cheaper power bat, such as Chris Carter or Michael Saunders.

The Mariners are poised to go young in the corner outfield next season. Leonys Martin is in center, and the corners will go to some combination of Ben Gamel, Mitch Haniger, Guillermo Heredia, and Taylor Motter. Veterans Nelson Cruz and Danny Valencia are outfield options too, though they figure to see most of their time at DH and first base, respectively.

In a nutshell, the two clubs dealt from what they considered a position of depth to upgrade another spot on the roster. The O's felt they had six viable starters and needed a corner outfield bat. The Mariners believe in their outfield depth but wanted another arm. Sometimes the puzzle pieces fit perfectly and a deal gets done.