Steve Pearce to Orioles: Latest Trade Details, Comments and Reaction

The Baltimore Orioles confirmed Monday they acquired Steve Pearce, sending minor league catcher Jonah Heim to the Tampa Bay Rays to complete the deal. 

Pearce, who had previously spent four years as a member of the Orioles, is batting .309 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI in 60 games.

The 33-year-old broke out in a big way in 2014. Between 2007 and 2013, he had amassed 0.5 WAR on FanGraphs. In 2014, Pearce posted the second-highest WAR (4.9) among qualified Orioles position players.

Given his age, Pearce will probably never be that good again, but he's a solid hitter who offers a lot of defensive value. Below is a positional breakdown of where he's played over his MLB career, per Baseball-Reference.com:

Position	No. of Games
First Base	202
Left Field	115
Right Field	91
Second Base	32
Third Base	12

"[Pearce] is a proven versatile veteran player who gives our club more punch and stronger defense wherever he is in the lineup," said Orioles general manager Dan Duquette, per Roch Kubatko of MASN.

BaltimoreBaseball.com's Dan Connolly noted the respect is mutual between the Orioles and Pearce:

Pearce's arrival could mean the departure of Nolan Reimold, who has largely been a reserve outfielder for Baltimore. The team has little reason to keep both players, and swapping Reimold with Pearce would be a net upgrade for the Orioles.

While it's easy to see why Duquette pulled the trigger on the deal, some might question whether the Orioles gave up too much for an aging player who's set to be a free agent in the offseason.

Heim is still a ways away from the majors. He has played 88 games for Baltimore's High-A affiliate, batting .216 with seven homers and 30 RBI. The 21-year-old is a far better defender than he is a hitter, though. MLB.com lists him as the 13th-best prospect in the Orioles organization.

On the 20-80 grading scale, Heim received 45 for hitting and 40 for power but 60 for his arm and 50 for fielding. While Heim is unlikely to become an All-Star catcher, some fans might contend the Orioles should have gotten a little more than just Pearce in the trade.