Here’s what Taylor Ward texted his LA teammates after learning of the Orioles trade
The first major trade of the MLB offseason took place on Tuesday night, as Los Angeles The Angels sent outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. With both teams looking to put a disappointing 2025 behind them, Ward and Rodriguez are ready to travel to their new homes. After the deal, the Athletics’ Sam Bloom shared Ward’s words to his former Angels teammates via their 2025 group text thread.
“I’m just telling them how much I care about them. I’m going to root for them,” Ward said of his line in a phone interview with Bloom. “I want nothing but the best for all of them. And if anyone wants to chat, they can message me on the side.”
Ward leaves career year with the Angels. Despite hitting .228, Ward’s 36 home runs and 103 RBIs helped pace the Halos offense, along with a breakout campaign from fellow outfielder Joe Adel. The Orioles need a bat like Ward in the heart of their lineup, and they have plenty of pitching. Now it’s up to the outfielder to build on his best season to date in Baltimore. Will this trade work out for both Ward and the Angels?
Angels, Taylor Ward is ready to go their separate ways moving forward
While Ward is poised to join an Orioles lineup filled with rising young stars like Gunnar Henderson, Rodriguez is ready to throw his first game in the majors since July 2024, when he suited up for Baltimore. While Yusei Kikuchi is the key to returning to the Halos rotation, there are many questions behind him, including Rodriguez.
Still, this deal could work out well for both parties. While both the Angels and Orioles missed the postseason last year, Baltimore is closer to a return than Los Angeles. Ward is one of a few pieces they were missing, in theory. Can the slugging outfielder not only build on his career in 2026, but do so away from his first major league home with the Halos? If so, losing Rodriguez will really be worth it.
2025-11-20 20:06:00
