Report: Mariners listening to offers on Smith

With a surplus of outfielders and a need for starting pitching, the Seattle Mariners seem to have decided to make Seth Smith available in trade talks.

The club is gauging interest on the 34-year-old right fielder and could trade him before the winter meetings conclude, according to Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.

The team's crowded outfield is the motivation for the move, after the Mariners acquired Mitch Haniger as part of the deal that sent starter Taijuan Walker to the Arizona Diamondbacks for shortstop Jean Segura.

In addition to Haniger, the Mariners have Danny Valencia, Guillermo Heredia, and Ben Gamel as options in the corner outfield, while Leonys Martin is expected to be the team's center fielder.

Smith is coming off a productive season in Seattle where he hit 16 home runs and 63 RBIs - which were a career high - in 132 games. In his 10-year career, Smith has posted a solid .261/.344/.447 line and could generate interest on the trade market.

The Mariners picked up Smith's $7-million option for 2017, but is slated to become a free agent in 2018.