O’s Send Grayson Rodriguez To Angels For Taylor Ward

In Major League Baseball in 2025, front offices generally think alike, which is why many trades nowadays seem almost boringly logical.Â

Usually when trades happen the logic for both sides is clearly apparent. Teams generally value prospects similarly, and most organizations†formulas for future value vs. contract cost are fall within the same ranges.

But every now and then, we still get a trade that truly surprises. And the Orioles-Angels trade on Tuesday night, just as the dust was clearing from the 40-man roster protection deadline is very much an unexpected, and difficult to explain trade.

The Orioles sent righthander Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in return for outfielder Taylor Ward.

It is very possible that the Orioles will get more value out of the trade in 2025, as Ward is a power hitter at the peak of his career. Rodriguez is coming off an elbow injury that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025 season. He eventually had elbow debridement surgery to remove bone chips.

But nowadays, teams rarely focus entirely on the short-term when it comes to trades, and that is where the calculus of this trade becomes more difficult to calculate.

Ward is about to turn 32, and he is entering his final season before he reaches free agency. He is expected to receive between $13 and $14 million in arbitration.

The 25-year-old Rodriguez, on the other hand, is yet to reach arbitration. He will play in 2026 for a little over the MLB minimum salary. He will be arbitration eligible for 2027, 2028 and 2029 and will reach free agency before the 2030 season.

Young and cost-controlled starting pitching far from free agency is one of the most coveted commodities in baseball. The Orioles are viewed as one of the teams most in need of adding starting pitching this offseason. In this deal, Baltimore traded away a young righthander who will likely not make as much money in the next three seasons as Ward will make in 2026.

In return, Baltimore added to what was already a pretty crowded outfield. The Oâ€s have drafted five college outfielders in the first round since 2019 and another 11 in the top 100 picks. In addition to Ward, the team currently has Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, Tyler Oâ€Neill, Leody Taveras and Heston Kjerstad. In addition the team also has Enrique Bradfield, Jud Fabian and Reed Trimble (just added to the 40-man roster) in Triple-A.

The Angels Receive

Grayson Rodriguez, RHP

Age: 26

Rodriguez, the Orioles†first round pick in 2018, reached the majors in 2023. He had a rocky introduction at times, but in 2024 he settled into a role as a frontline starter for the Orioles as they made a second-straight playoff appearance. He was 13-4, 3.86 with a 100 ERA+ and a 3.66 FIP.

Rodriguez did not pitch in a game in 2025, and the Orioles had said that Rodriguez was unlikely to pitch until March or April 2026 at the earliest.

While there has been no further word on Rodriguezâ€s recovery, this trade seems to indicate that the Orioles have real concerns about his recovery. As multiple evaluators inside the game noted, the trade otherwise does not make sense from the Orioles†perspective.

If Rodriguez is healthy, he will give the Angels a long-term foundational rotation piece.

The Orioles Receive

Taylor Ward, OF

Age: 31

When the Angels drafted Ward, he was viewed as a solid defensive catcher with questions about his bat. He long-ago hung up the catcherâ€s mitt, but heâ€s proven to be a very solid hitter. His 2025 season was one of the best of his career, as he hit a career-high 36 home runs. His power does come with some swing and miss, as he struck out 26.4% of the time. His .228 batting average and .317 on-base percentage were the worst of his career, but it came with a career-best .475 slugging percentage. Ward is an average defender in left field with a very below-average arm.

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