Once DFA'd, now a potential Trade Deadline X-factor

Ryan O'Hearn could be one of the unexpected stars of the summer.

From All-Star chatter to Trade Deadline buzz, the 31-year-old’s name is bound to come up often in the weeks ahead.

It’s not exactly familiar territory for O’Hearn, who was designated for assignment and traded for cash not too long ago. At the time, few would have predicted he’d find himself here -- on the verge of an All-Star nod and squarely on the radar of contenders looking to upgrade their lineups.

Let’s dive into who O'Hearn is, why he’s likely to draw significant interest on the trade market and where this surprising story could be headed.

All stats below are through Monday.

The lowdown on O'Hearn

O’Hearn has been around for a while, debuting for the Royals in 2018. An eighth-round Draft pick by Kansas City four years earlier, O’Hearn looked like he might be the Royals’ first baseman of the future -- succeeding Eric Hosmer, who left Kansas City to sign with the Padres at the end of the 2017 campaign -- when he recorded 12 homers and a .950 OPS over 44 games in that ’18 season.

But after O’Hearn slashed .211/.282/.351 with 26 homers in 298 games from 2019-22, a Royals club coming off a 97-loss season decided that he wasn’t worth keeping around any longer. Kansas City designated O’Hearn for assignment to make room for pitcher Jordan Lyles on the 40-man roster, and soon after sent the left-handed slugger to Baltimore for cash considerations in January ’23.

O’Hearn’s move to Baltimore barely made a ripple. O’Hearn was one of a slew of veteran left-handed bats the Orioles added to their roster that offseason, along with Nomar Mazara, Franchy Cordero and Lewin Díaz (twice). He was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk prior to Opening Day and ended up logging only 11 starts in the Majors through May 30.

However, O’Hearn received an opportunity to play more frequently after that and he ran with it. He became a key part of Baltimore’s lineup against right-handed pitching and finished the year with a .289 average, 14 homers, 60 RBIs, an .801 OPS and a 118 wRC+ over 368 plate appearances for a team that won 101 games.

O’Hearn delivered similar production over 494 PAs in 2024 (15 HR, 119 wRC+), after which the O’s picked up his ’25 club option for $8 million.

Why he's such an intriguing trade candidate

O’Hearn has taken his offensive game to a higher level in 2025, hitting .306 with a .386 on-base percentage, 10 homers, an .881 OPS and a 153 wRC+. Granted, O’Hearn is strictly a platoon bat, but few left-handed hitters are performing better against righties than the 31-year-old.

Highest wRC+ with the platoon advantage, LHH, 2025
Min. 100 PAs in those situations

1. Shohei Ohtani: 197
2. Ketel Marte: 195
3. Freddie Freeman: 181
4. Jonathan Aranda: 177
5. Cal Raleigh: 172
6. Ryan O’Hearn: 168

Even more important -- at least from the perspective of teams eyeing him as a potential stretch-run addition -- is how he’s doing it: striking out far less than the league average, walking more often, and routinely producing hard contact (95+ mph exit velocity) in the ideal launch angle window (8-32 degrees).

All of that has amounted to a .387 expected wOBA, a Statcast metric based on quality of contract, plus strikeouts and walks. O’Hearn ranks in the 91st percentile in that regard. He also has the fifth-highest expected batting average (.314) among qualifiers.

Another notable distinction? O’Hearn is actually a capable defender at first base, even though he has made more appearances as a DH than he has at any other spot over the past two seasons. Since 2022, O’Hearn has recorded +6 Outs Above Average at first, tied with teammate Ryan Mountcastle for 10th best in MLB. This year, he’s at +3 OAA as a first baseman. And while O’Hearn isn’t anyone’s idea of a good defensive outfielder, he at least has experience playing both corner-outfield spots, so he’s not going to be lost if a team wants to throw him out there from time to time.

In other words, O’Hearn isn’t just a one-dimensional bat reserved for a handful of teams seeking a lefty DH upgrade. He could fit with more teams than you think.

Why he's likely to be traded

Despite O'Hearn's strong production, the Orioles have been a massive disappointment in 2025. Coming off back-to-back playoff appearances driven by its talented young core, Baltimore entered Tuesday with a 30-41 record and a -79 run differential -- even after winning 14 of its past 21 games.

Given their place in the standings, the Orioles are shaping up to be sellers at this year’s Trade Deadline. While the focus is likely to be on retooling for 2026 rather than rebuilding, Baltimore's list of trade candidates could be fairly robust.

The Orioles have a glut of attractive assets on expiring contracts, including center fielder Cedric Mullins, starters Zach Eflin and Tomoyuki Sugano and relievers Seranthony Domínguez and Gregory Soto. And, yes, O'Hearn as well.

Best fits

So where might O'Hearn land if he's dealt? Here are eight clubs in the thick of the playoff race that need offense and could conceivably find a spot for him.

Mariners: Seattle’s pitching hasn’t been nearly as good as usual this year, putting more of the onus on its offense to deliver. But after a solid start to the season, the Mariners have floundered at the plate -- a familiar issue for a club that has consistently struggled to score in recent years. Only the Royals have averaged fewer runs scored per game since May 20, a span in which the M’s have gone 9-16. First baseman Rowdy Tellez owns a .686 OPS on the year, and designated hitter Jorge Polanco has followed up an unsustainably hot start with a .479 OPS over his past 35 games, so O’Hearn could definitely help boost this lineup.

Red Sox: The Red Sox are still talking about contending this season after their stunning decision to send Rafael Devers to the Giants on Sunday. There’s just the small matter of having just traded away their best hitter -- a left-handed bat, no less -- and starting DH. Boston also lost its first baseman, Triston Casas, to a season-ending knee injury earlier this year. Given those factors, O’Hearn is a logical fit, provided the Red Sox can stay in the race.

Twins: Right fielder Matt Wallner’s return from a left hamstring strain has given the Twins more left-handed thump, but the club’s lineup still skews heavily toward the right side. Left-handed hitters have tallied only 680 plate appearances for Minnesota in 2025, the third fewest in MLB, and those hitters have recorded a collective .684 OPS.

Padres: San Diego would probably prefer to acquire a true left fielder so it can make Gavin Sheets its full-time DH. But the club could also opt to trade for O’Hearn and use him at DH or in left. The Friars have gotten a mediocre .716 OPS from their left-handed bats this season, and only the Rangers have posted a lower OPS (.572) at the DH spot.

Blue Jays: Like the Twins, the Blue Jays have struggled to generate offense from the left side, despite signing switch-hitter Anthony Santander to a five-year, $92.5 million deal in free agency. The Jays are surely hoping Santander and Daulton Varsho can help solve those issues when they return from the injured list, but given how Santander has performed this year (.577 OPS), there’s still a case for them to add another left-handed bat. Granted, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. entrenched at first base, acquiring O’Hearn would mean having to play both Santander and George Springer in the outfield on a regular basis. That could be something the Blue Jays are looking to avoid.

Royals: O’Hearn might seem redundant on a roster that has Vinnie Pasquantino and top prospect Jac Caglianone, but the Royals need offense wherever they can get it, having scored the second-fewest runs in MLB. While Caglianone is typically a first baseman like Pasquantino, he has seen some playing time in right field since the club called him up earlier this month, so a reunion with O’Hearn isn’t entirely out of the question for Kansas City.

Reds: Cincinnati’s lineup has actually fared quite well against right-handers this season, thanks in part to the success of its left-handed bats. But that doesn’t mean the Reds wouldn’t benefit from acquiring O’Hearn as they chase a playoff spot. After all, they have a .655 OPS at first base and a .724 OPS at DH.

Rangers: Texas’ offense has been surprisingly anemic in 2025, scoring the fifth-fewest runs of any team. The Rangers tried to address first base and DH in the offseason with the additions of Jake Burger and Joc Pederson, respectively, but neither move has worked out. (Pederson isn’t expected back until July after fracturing his right hand.)