The Baltimore Orioles acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night in exchange for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. The one-for-one trade addresses Baltimore's need for right-handed hitting while parting with a former top prospect who has struggled with injuries. Rodriguez has not pitched in a major league game since July 31, 2024.

The 26-year-old Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to elbow and lat injuries. His 2024 campaign was also cut short by lat and teres discomfort. President of baseball operations Mike Elias acknowledged the uncertainty surrounding Rodriguez at the General Managers Meetings last week.

"You miss a year and two months and we've got to be realistic about that, it's not something that we're planning around very heavily," Elias said. "This guy hasn't pitched since August 2024, and planning around that is something that we've got to hedge against."

Ward, 31, set career highs in 2025 with 36 home runs and 103 RBIs while playing in 157 games. The eight-year veteran hit .228 with a .792 OPS last season. He has slugged 98 home runs over the past four seasons.

Baltimore ranked 23rd in batting average and 22nd in OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025. Ward hit .262 with a .918 OPS against southpaws last season. His 20.7% chase rate ranked in the 92nd percentile in MLB.

Ward enters his final year of arbitration before potentially reaching free agency after the 2026 season. He has primarily played left field during his career but also has experience in right field and center field.

The Orioles still plan to add another top-tier starter this offseason. Baltimore's rotation currently features Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells and Cade Povich. The team is targeting additional pitching through free agency or trade.