Orioles Acquire Taylor Ward in a Trade with the Angels
The Baltimore Orioles have finalized a trade with the Los Angeles Angels, acquiring outfielder Taylor Ward in exchange for right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. This move, announced Tuesday night, addresses the specific needs of both teams.
The Orioles were looking for a power hitter to reinforce their outfield, and Ward, who is in his final season before free agency, fits that profile perfectly. For their part, the Angels needed a high-level starter and hope to find it in Rodriguez, a promising prospect who missed the 2025 season due to an injury.
Rodriguez, 26 years old, whose contract gives the team four more years of control, was selected in the 11th position in the 2018 draft. In his first two seasons in the Major Leagues, he showed flashes of his potential, with an ERA of 4.11 and 259 strikeouts in 238¾ innings from 2023 to 2024. However, an elbow injury, which arose in spring training of 2025 and reappeared in the summer, required surgery that prevented him from playing the entire season.
It is expected that Rodriguez will be ready for spring training.
Ward, who will turn 32 next month, was selected in the 26th position in 2015 as a catcher, then became a third baseman and found his place in left field. His biggest adjustment was modifying his swing to adopt a patient but powerful approach, which was fully manifested in the last two seasons. From 2024 to 2025, Ward had a batting average of .237/.320/.450 with 61 home runs and 178 RBIs, and ranked 25th among 316 hitters in terms of chase rate.
By trading Ward, the Angels cleared the way for other outfielders like Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler. They are still looking to add a center fielder.
In the Orioles, Ward can provide consistent production in the outfield alongside Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill. The Orioles were expected to be one of the most aggressive teams in pursuit of starting pitchers this offseason, and Rodriguez’s departure makes that need even more pressing.
Not long ago, Rodriguez was expected to be a key piece in their rotation. He had an ERA of 2.26 in the last 12 starts of his rookie season in 2023, then started 2024 with an ERA of 3.86 and 130 strikeouts in 116⅔ innings through the end of July. A lat injury forced him to miss the last two months, but the Orioles still counted on him to be a major contributor the following season.
Rodriguez’s presence was one of the main reasons why management didn’t act more aggressively in seeking outside help, and his injury became one of the main reasons why the team didn’t meet expectations. In the Angels, he will join the rotation alongside Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano and transitional reliever Reid Detmers, with the hope of reinforcing a pitching staff that led the American League in effectiveness in 2025. And by trading Ward for Rodriguez, who is still in the pre-arbitration stage of his career, the Angels saved approximately $13 million in salary for 2026.
