After finding out he had been traded, Taylor Ward immediately opened the Los Angeles Angels team 2025 group text to send a message before the news became public. He wanted it to come from him.

“Just telling them how much I cared about them. I’ll be rooting for them,” Ward said of his text in a phone interview with The Athletic. “I wish nothing but the best for them all. And if anybody wants to chat, they can text me on the side.”

Then, Ward exited the group chat.

Just like that, after 10 years in only one uniform, Ward’s career in Anaheim was over. He’d been traded to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.

When he had received the call from Angels general manager Perry Minasian, his mind went “blank.” Could it be the trade that had been rumored for years? Or maybe it was about a position change. Or, perhaps, just a harmless and friendly check-in.

The call was quick, Ward said. As was the follow-up conversation he had with Orioles executive Mike Elias, who struck the deal to put the power-hitting left fielder in the middle of his lineup. The entire sequence was a “shell shock” for Ward.

“I had a wonderful time being in Anaheim, playing in Anaheim, getting to know the guys and getting to play next to Hall of Fame players too,” Ward said. “I’m just very thankful for that time period, and it’s something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.

“Who knows? I’ll obviously be a free agent after this year. And anything can happen after that.”

Thank you, Taylor! ❤️

From our first round draft pick in 2015 to eight years as an Angel, we were all proud to watch you rep the Halo.

We wish you and your family all the best in Baltimore! pic.twitter.com/qP4IdGxUA5

— Los Angeles Angels (@Angels) November 19, 2025

Ward was drafted as a catcher with the No. 26 pick in 2015. He spent three years at the position, toiling away in the lower levels of the minor leagues. In 2018, the team moved him to third base, where he made his MLB debut later that season. Ward played some first base, third base and outfield in 2019, going up and down from the minors.

In 2020, he played in right field. In 2021, he got a chance in center field and even appeared as a catcher. It really looked at the time like Ward was a fringe big leaguer on a bad team — a player who didn’t pan out, and one who would eventually be left behind.

Instead, Ward completely changed his swing and mechanics, finally blossoming into an everyday player in 2022. His defense became solid. His streakiness left him looking MVP-caliber for long chunks of time.

It had been a long struggle for Ward in Anaheim, but he finally came into his own, notching a career-high .833 OPS that year, ahead of his 36-home-run season in 2025.

“I think it’s really cool, and it just tells you that you never know when a player can go off and do what they’re capable of,” Ward said. “It’s tough for some guys that get released early and don’t really get the chance. I’m grateful for the opportunities and that they wanted me in the lineup.”

Now, however, “the rumors finally came true,” and he was shipped off. For years, Ward’s name has been the subject of trade talks. Given his emerging value, pending free agency and the team’s on-field failures, Ward’s name was ripe for trade talk.

Asked to assess the trade, Ward said he felt it was fair for both teams and that it made sense for Baltimore, which is in win-now mode.

“As much as I wanted to stay with the guys in the clubhouse,” Ward said, “I think this is good for me.”

The day after the trade, Ward spent some time scrolling through his Baseball Savant page. Camden Yards, for a long time, was a notorious hitter’s ballpark. So much so that they moved the left-field wall back nearly 30 feet before the 2022 season.

That became a cavernous disaster, and the left-field wall was moved in ahead of last season.

As the everyday left fielder who pulls the majority of his home runs to left field, this was all very important. Ward was comforted to see the Baseball Savant calculation that he would have hit 33 homers last year had he played all 162 games in Baltimore.

The 31-year-old will be a free agent after the 2026 season and said he’s open to a return to the Angels. But for now, he wants to play in the postseason for the first time in his career and is joining a team that’s positioning itself to re-emerge as a contender after a lost season.

“My goal is to win a World Series, and I think we have the group,” Ward said. “They also have money to spend, and they’re gonna get key guys to fill holes. They’re gonna do the right thing. I fully expect us to be contending. Once we make the playoffs, I’m gonna be super excited.”