Ex-Orioles outfielder calls GM 'nuts' for pulling off trade

Former Baltimore Orioles outfielder Ramon Laureano got very honest about his reaction to getting traded at the deadline.

Aug 12, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Diego Padres outfielder Ramon Laureano (5) looks on in the dugout against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

While the Baltimore Orioles made several trades before this season's July 31 deadline, the deal that made the most waves was them sending 2025 MLB All-Star Ryan O'Hearn and fan-favorite outfielder Ramon Laureano to the San Diego Padres in exchange for prospects Boston Bateman, Tyson Neighbors, Tanner Smith, Brandon Butterworth, Cobb Hightower, and Victor Figueroa.

The Orioles' front office deciding to trade both Laureano and O'Hearn made sense, given that O'Hearn is set to become an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason, while Laureano has a club option for $6.5 million. And since both players have performed well to this point, it's clear why the Padres brought them on board for a postseason push.

Read more: Baltimore Orioles GM declined All-Star's trade request desire

Padres GM A.J. Preller is notorious for being one of the most aggressive front office executives in all of baseball.

In fact, if this deal with Baltimore didn't go through, Preller already had other acquisitions in place, which was conveyed through him saying, “We felt like we had some deals lined up where it was more us saying yes than the other teams giving a possibility. But yeah, there were some nervous moments exactly like how it all played out. But we also had plans B, C and D lined up if the Oriole bats, for example, just didn’t get across the finish line," per an August 11 article from San Diego Padres On SI.

Nov 21, 2023; San Diego, CA, USA; San Diego Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller speaks to the media during a press conference announcing the hiring of manager Mike Shildt (not pictured) at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images | Orlando Ramirez-Imagn Images

Ramon Laureano Gets Very Honest About Padres Trade From Orioles

An August 25 article from The Athletic's MLB insider Ken Rosenthal detailed several aspects surrounding the Orioles' trade deadline moves. And at one point, Ramon Laureano is quoted as saying that when he heard news about him and O'Heard getting traded to the Padres together, his initial reaction involved him saying, "That's crazy."

Rosenthal then added another quote from Laureano telling A.J. Preller that he was "nuts" for getting a deal done to bring him and O'Hearn to the Padres.

While it's unclear exactly what prompted this response from Laureano, context suggests that he meant it by him and O'Hearn being good buddies, and this tandem getting dealt to the same team was crazy (in a good way).

Dodgers-Padres notes extravaganza! https://t.co/8MfRjXxuHE

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) August 25, 2025

Time will tell whether any of the prospects the Orioles snagged from San Diego in this deal end up being impact players in the future. What's for sure is that Baltimore saying goodbye to Laureano and O'Hearn was a tough pill for fans to swallow, despite it perhaps being for the best.