The Los Angeles Angels will have a new starting left fielder after the organization traded Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-handed starter Grayson Rodriguez Tuesday.
Los Angeles was expected to deal Ward at the trade deadline on July 31, but with the team battling for a wild card spot, ownership opted to add depth at the deadline to try and make a little playoff run. It didn’t work, but props to owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian for kind of going for it.
The Angels haven’t been to the postseason in over a decade, but this move puts them in a better position to make a trip this season.
Of course, a lot more needs to be done for the Angels to be considered a contender, especially because they don’t typically spend a lot of money in the offseason. But, moving on from an aging, one-dimensional player in favor of a starting pitcher with upside is a good start.
ESPN graded the trade, giving the Orioles a D and the Angels an A-minus.
“I don't like to get too actuarial about these things, but you kind of have to be in this case because Ward will be a free agent after the 2026 season whereas Rodriguez has four seasons of team control left on his service time clock,” Bradford Doolittle wrote Wednesday. “Thus, even if Rodriguez is likely to need an adjustment period this season as he attempts to come back from the injuries that cost him all of 2025, Baltimore would have had plenty of time to let that play out.
“Ward turns 32 next month, likely putting him at the outer rim of his career prime. He has been a decent player -- an average of 3.0 bWAR over the past four years -- but his skill set is narrow. Ward has been a fixture in left field the past couple of seasons and has shown diminishment both on defense and on the bases. He's someone you acquire for his bat.”
His bat is pretty good and he just hit 36 home runs in 2025. He is on an expiring contract, however, so unless he follows with another 30-plus home runs in 2026, the investment would be worth it.
Rodriguez gives the Angels hope for a lockdown starting pitcher in a depleted starting rotation.
“ESPN's Kiley McDaniel ranked Rodriguez as the game's top pitching prospect in 2022 and rated him nearly as high in 2023. The mere possibility of Gray-Rod (did it again) fulfilling that potential in an Angels uniform is an exciting notion for fans in Anaheim.
“The deal opens up a hole in the outfield for the Angels with no obvious plug-in solution from the organization. But finding a free agent replacement who approximates or exceeds Ward's production shouldn't break the bank. Here's a vote for going after Cody Bellinger.”
Adding Cody Bellinger to the Angels outfield would greatly impact both the offense and defense, setting the Angels up for success in 2026 and beyond.