Newly acquired Grayson Rodriguez immediately targets October baseball, promising a deep pitching arsenal and a winning attitude for the Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels kicked off the MLB free agency frenzy with an interesting splash. After months of rumors, they trades away outfielder Taylor Ward.
In exchange, they acquired left-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez in a one-for-one swap with the Baltimore Orioles.
Ward's name was thrown around in trade rumors at the deadline, so it wasn't surprising to see him traded now.
Rodriguez is an interesting acquisition, and the 26-year-old went 20-8 in 43 games with the Orioles in 2023 and 2024 combined.
But, an injury in spring training caused him to have debridement surgery to remove bone chips, and that forced him to miss the entire 2025 season.
Still, the Angels get a young pitcher, and Rodriguez revealed what he is bringing to the table while also setting a high expectation for the Angels.
“Gonna get a pitcher that’s gonna throw a lot of innings. That’s gonna be at the forefront of my goal. We’re gonna go out there and win some ballgames. We’re gonna be playing in October," Rodriguez said in an interview with Angels Radio KLAA.
Rodriguez was selected No. 11 overall out of high school in 2018, so the young pitcher had plenty of buzz and has shown a lot of hope in his first couple of seasons with the Orioles.
Rodriguez also isn't eligible for free agency until after the 2029 season, so the Angels having him for four seasons is a huge win.
But, the pitcher has high hopes, and even though the Angels are in the midst of a playoff drought, he is hoping he can help change that narrative and have the team playing meaningful baseball in October once again.