The Baltimore Orioles have acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels, in a trade that benefits both organizations. In return, the Angels receive right-handed pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
This strategic move responds to the specific needs of each team. The Orioles were looking for a power-hitting outfielder, and Ward, who is in his final season before free agency, fits that profile perfectly. For their part, the Angels needed a high-caliber starting pitcher 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 number 11 position in the 2018 draft. In his first two seasons in the Major Leagues, he proved his worth with an ERA of 4.11, 259 strikeouts and 78 walks in 238¾ innings. However, an elbow injury, which required surgery, kept him out of action for the entire 2025 season.
Rodriguez is expected to be ready for spring training.
Ward, who will turn 32 next month, was selected in the 26th position as a catcher in 2015. Subsequently, he became a third baseman and found his place in left field. His biggest adjustment was the modification of his swing, adopting a patient and powerful approach that 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 clear the way in the outfield, where Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Jorge Soler also play. The team is still looking to add a center fielder.
In the Orioles, Ward will bring consistency to the group of outfielders, alongside Colton Cowser and Tyler O’Neill. Rodriguez’s departure sharpens the Orioles’ need to strengthen their starting pitching staff.
Rodriguez was a key piece in the Orioles’ rotation. In 2023, he had an ERA of 2.26 in his last 12 starts, and in 2024, he recorded an ERA of 3.86 and 130 strikeouts in 116⅔ innings through the end of July. An injury kept him out of action for the last two months, but the Orioles were counting on him to be an important player in 2025.
The presence of Rodriguez was one of the reasons why the management wasn’t more aggressive in the search for external reinforcements, and his injury became a key factor that prevented the team from meeting expectations.
In the Angels, Rodriguez will join the rotation alongside Yusei Kikuchi, Jose Soriano, and Reid Detmers, with the hope of strengthening a pitching staff that led the American League in effectiveness in 2025. Furthermore, by trading Ward for Rodriguez, who is still in the pre-arbitration stage of his career, the Angels saved approximately 13 million dollars in salary for 2026.
