The MLB Trade Deadline is just over one month away, and it’s around this time each year that rumors begin circulating as to which players might be on the block and who the true buyers and sellers are. And for the first time in many years, it appears that the Los Angeles Angels may commit to selling players like Taylor Ward and others.
The Angels have the fifth-worst record in Major League Baseball, but have a surprising amount of sought after talent. They have Ward, Jo Adell and Kevin Pillar in the outfield, Luis Rengifo in the infield and pitchers such as Tyler Anderson, Matt Moore, Carlos Estévez and more. It’s a great situation to be in for a team that desperately needs a reset in their farm system.
But of all their pieces, anonymous MLB executives believes Ward is the most likely to be traded. In fact, those same polled executives by Jim Bowden of The Athletic call Ward the third-most likely position player to be dealt at the deadline.
Ward has been arguably the Angels’ most productive offensive player, reaching base at a .328 clip with a team-leading 14 home runs and 41 RBIs. He’s under club control through 2026 and would fit nicely with teams like the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and Twins.
Ward is easily the Angels’ most valuable trade chip as things stand in late June. With two and a half years of team control remaining and a consistent level of production over the last three years, Ward could be a fit in just about any system in the Majors.
The price to get Ward, though, may be too high for opposing teams to be willing to pay. General manager Perry Minasian is reportedly seeking a giant return if Ward is going to get traded this summer. However, at 30 years old, Ward may no longer fit the timeline of the Angels, and that could motivate Minasian to get a deal done.
The four teams listed as fits for Ward — the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and Twins — have the No. 26, No. 8, No. 17 and No. 15 ranked farm systems according to MLB Pipeline.
Angels vs. Tigers probable starters
The Angels begin a four-game weekend set against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday and have the season debut of Davis Daniel prepared for the opener. L.A. has had to dramatically shift their starting rotation as injuries pile up. Below are the probable starters for the full series.
Thursday, June 27, 6:38 p.m. PST
Davis Daniel vs. Jack Flaherty
Friday, June 28, 6:38 p.m. PST
Zach Plesac vs. Kenta Maeda
Saturday, June 29, 7:07 p.m. PST
Griffin Canning vs. Reese Olson
Sunday, June 30, 1:07 p.m. PST
Tyler Anderson vs. Casey Mize