Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter named Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward as one of MLB’s Top 25 trade chips for the upcoming offseason.
Ward is only under team control through next season, and is coming off of a career year with the Halos. While he’s always provided a solid bat for the Halos, he took things to an entirely new level this season, setting career highs across the board.
The left fielder clubbed 36 home runs — 11 more than the career-high 25 he set in 2024 — and drove in more than 100 runs for the first time in his career.
“Bright spots were few and far between for the Los Angeles Angels this year en route to a 10th straight losing season, but a career year from outfielder Taylor Ward did give them one clear individual standout,” wrote Reuter.
“The front office has balked at trading him in recent years, but as he enters his final year of club control, there is no better time to sell high than on the heels of a season where he set career-high marks in doubles (31), home runs (36), RBI (103), runs scored (86) and total bases (275).”
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Ward’s name has flown around each of the last two trade deadlines, but the Angels have stuck with their left fielder both times, so they may not be looking to move him during the offseason either. Ward, too, has weighed in on the rumors, and has made his intentions with the Angels clear.
“Same old, same old,” Ward said in July. “I have my inner circle that shoots me stuff. But again, I want to stay here. I want to win with this group. I think it’d be the cherry on top getting to the playoffs and winning with this group.”
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The Angels’ decision on Ward largely depends on what they aim to do in the 2026 season, as they’ve shown they’ll hold onto their pieces if they think they have a chance of contending. If they do ship out the 31-year-old, they’ll look to rebuild their farm system. On the other hand, they’ll be looking to challenge for a spot in the postseason to break their 11-season drought if they keep him and revisit the idea of trading him at the deadline if they underperform.
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