Angels' Trade Talks for Taylor Ward Continue Amid Speculation

Yesterday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the Los Angeles Angels are close to trading an outfielder. While no deal has been finalized, talks seem to be ongoing. Although it wasn’t specified which outfielder might be on the move, Feinsand suggested that Taylor Ward could be a likely candidate, given the rumors of other clubs showing interest in him. However, Ward’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register that he hadn’t heard anything about trade discussions involving his client. This doesn't necessarily mean talks aren’t happening, but it has sparked some speculation.


Members of the Atlanta beat, like David O’Brien of The Athletic and Mark Bowman of MLB.com, reported that if there is a trade involving Ward, it won’t be with Atlanta.


Ward has long seemed like a logical trade candidate. With the Angels struggling to compete in recent years, there has been natural speculation about veteran players with limited years of club control remaining. Ward, who will turn 31 this Saturday, is under team control for two more seasons via arbitration.


If the Angels were considering a rebuild, trading Ward for younger, more controllable players would make sense. However, despite losing 99 games last season, the Halos are clearly aiming to compete in 2025. Both owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian have expressed their intent to contend this winter, evident by their acquisitions of Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Kyle Hendricks, and others.