Trade Candidate: Taylor Ward
The Angels are coming off the worst season in franchise history. They lost 99 games for the first time. Only the White Sox, Rockies and Marlins had a worse run differential. The Angels are playing like a rebuilding team, even if they haven't gotten here intentionally.
Halos brass continues to resist the rebuilding label. Owner Arte Moreno said two weeks ago that he plans to approve a payroll increase and expects the team to compete for a playoff spot. General manager Perry Minasian expressed similar sentiments at his end-of-season press conference. The Angels aren't about to tear the roster to the studs. At the same time, they can't run things back while only tinkering with the bullpen (as they did last offseason) and expect markedly better results.
Whether they embrace a short-term reset or look to balance the MLB roster without dealing from one of the league's worst farm systems, there's a case for moving Taylor Ward . The 30-year-old left fielder has been the subject of trade speculation dating back to last offseason. The Pirates and Royals reportedly checked in at the most recent deadline. Nothing came together. Pittsburgh ended up acquiring Bryan De La Cruz from the Marlins instead. The Royals didn't address their outfield at the deadline but claimed Tommy Pham Robbie Grossman off waivers a few weeks later.
Trading Ward over the summer would have been selling a bit low. After a strong first couple months, he had a dismal stretch between June and July. From June 1 to the start of play on deadline day, Ward hit .175/.280/.313 while striking out at a 28% clip. He had a .227/.309/.401 season line at that point. He wasn't trending well as a lineup boost for a contender.
Ward hit much better once the deadline passed. From July 30 on, he turned in a stout .282/.348/.471 slash over 230 plate appearances. He cut his strikeouts to a more manageable 23.9% clip and drilled nine home runs. Ward concluded the season with 25 longballs and a .246/.323/.426 showing that's about in line with his career trajectory. He's a slightly above-average hitter who plays roughly league average defense in left field. He has crushed left-handed pitching (.315/.374/.509) over the past two seasons while putting up league average numbers (.229/.314/.399) without the platoon advantage. It's not a star profile, but that's a valuable regular.
The Halos control Ward for another two seasons. He qualified for early arbitration in 2023 as a Super Two player, so he's already in line for a notable salary. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $9.2MM sum next season, the highest in the Halos' arbitration class. He'll probably be in line for around $12-14MM in his final year of club control.
Ward isn't too dissimilar from Lane Thomas , whom the Nationals traded to the Guardians at this year's deadline. Thomas was a little more affordable, playing on a $5.45MM deal in his penultimate arbitration year. The midseason trade meant Cleveland was picking up a year and a half of his services rather than two full seasons. Washington landed a trio of prospects, headlined by recent second-round pick Alex Clemmey and upper minors utility infielder José Tena . That's a general comparison point for what the Angels could seek for Ward if they were willing to move him for prospects.
Based on Moreno's and Minasian's comments, that might not be a consideration. The Angels haven't merely said they believe they can compete in 2025. Their deadline activity backed that up. Los Angeles didn't trade anyone who was not an impending free agent despite fielding interest in players like Ward, Luis Rengifo and Tyler Anderson .
Even if the Halos don't want to make a trade with a firm eye to the future, they could look to deal Ward to net big league pitching. The Angels have one of the worst rotations in MLB. They've tended to shy away from significant free agent investments in pitchers, an organizational preference that seems to stem from ownership since it crosses multiple front offices. Trading prospects for rotation help only continues the trend of short-sighted moves that got them in this position.
There aren't many players they'll probably be willing to move off the MLB roster. They're not going to trade Logan O'Hoppe or Zach Neto . Rengifo's value dropped when he underwent season-ending wrist surgery in August. Anderson had a poor second half and has minimal appeal on a $13MM salary. Trading him for a modest return subtracts one of their few stable sources of innings.
The Angels aren't exactly overflowing with outfield talent either, but left field is a comparatively easier position to address. That could come internally. Mike Trout has already said he could move off center field in an effort to stay healthy. His arm probably fits better in left than in right. Even if they move Trout to right (or kick Ward to that corner so Trout can handle left field), that could block one of the simplest paths to adding some punch to the lineup. This is a decent class for free agent corner outfielders, with players like Anthony Santander Teoscar Hernández , Tyler O'Neill and Michael Conforto available. Trading Ward for a starter would clear a path for a free agent pursuit from someone in that group.
Pittsburgh and Kansas City could renew their interest. The Bucs got very little out of De La Cruz, while Grossman and Pham are free agents. The Reds, Phillies, Braves, Blue Jays and Padres are other teams that could look for corner outfield help this winter. The Tigers and Red Sox are among the teams that'll be seeking right-handed bats.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
