Angels' Outfielder Among Top Hitters Expected to Be Moved at Trade Deadline

Maren Angus-Coombs | Jun 14, 2024

Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The weeks leading up to Major League Baseball's trade deadline are a fertile time for transaction rumors. The most reports swirl around struggling teams who are expected to offload their best talent. This year, that includes the Los Angeles Angels.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Angels' Taylor Ward is a notable hitter who is expected to be moved by the deadline.

It isn't surprising that the Angels are looking to unload. They have been ravaged by injuries to their best players. Mike Trout has been on the injured list for more than a month due to knee surgery and doesn't have a hard return date. Anthony Rendon and Brandon Drury have also landed on the IL.

Taylor Ward - Los Angeles Angels (12)
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Currently the Angels are 26-41 and sit 12.5 games back of first place in the AL West, 9.5 games back of the final Wild Card spot. The odds of the Angels making the postseason are slim, forcing general manager Perry Minasian to look ahead instead of behind.

Minasian and his team will look to acquire younger players who can help bolster the farm system and help the major league club in future seasons. Players who are elgible for free agency at the end of this season, such as closer Carlos Estévez, are the most likely to go.

Ward offers three years of team control, making him more likely than perhaps any other current Angel to return a decent haul of prospects if Minasian decides to trade him. The 30-year-old left fielder is batting .253 this season with 12 doubles, 12 home runs and 36 RBIs.

In 2022, Ward amassed 3.6 bWAR in 135 games. In 2022, he was limited to 97 games by injury, but has rebounded with a solid season (1.2 bWAR in 66 games). The Angels might choose to sell high on the talented former first-round draft pick.