Why the Orioles’ Trade of Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward Shocked the Baseball World
The Baltimore Orioles pulled off a surprising move Tuesday night, sending right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfielder Taylor Ward. For a team that has been actively searching for pitching, parting with a pitcher once considered the future ace of the rotation caught many off guard.
Rodriguez, 26, was drafted 11th overall by Baltimore in 2018 and long ranked among baseball’s elite pitching prospects. He debuted in 2023 and flashed top-of-the-rotation potential when healthy, but he hasn’t pitched in a major-league game since July 31, 2024.
Through 43 career starts, Rodriguez posted a 20–8 record with a 4.11 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, and 9.8 strikeouts per nine innings. His career has been interrupted by health setbacks: he was diagnosed with elbow inflammation during spring training, then suffered a lat strain during his April ramp-up — the same injury that ended his 2024 campaign. In August, he underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow, ending his 2025 season without throwing a single inning. Orioles president Mike Elias had hoped he would be ready for spring training and recently described him as a “wild card” for the rotation.
Ward, who turns 32 next month, is under team control through 2026 and is projected to earn $13.7 million in his final arbitration year. Meanwhile, the Angels will hold four years of club control on Rodriguez.
A nine-year MLB veteran, Ward has spent his entire career with the Angels. He is coming off a breakout 2025 season in which he set career highs in doubles (31), home runs (36), and RBIs (103) while batting .228 with a .792 OPS over 157 games.
Ward gives the Orioles the right-handed power bat they needed to help balance a left-leaning lineup. However, due to his below-average defensive range in left field (54th percentile), his arrival effectively shifts Colton Cowser into center field — not his ideal position — for the 2026 season.
Baltimore’s outfield mix now includes Ward, Cowser, Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill, Heston Kjerstad, and Leody Taveras, who recently signed a one-year $2 million deal. Of that group, only Cowser and Taveras project as everyday center fielders. The club also has top prospect Enrique Bradfield Jr. (No. 4), an elite defender likely heading to Triple-A to start the year.
As for the rotation, the Orioles will lean on Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish at the top, with Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and Cade Povich filling out the remaining spots. But with Rodriguez gone, Baltimore’s need for another front-line starter becomes even more urgent as the winter meetings approach.
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