The Los Angeles Angels are in a weird spot ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
They’re currently one game under .500 and four games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, and need to decide whether or not they want to throw the kitchen sink at ending the longest active postseason drought in MLB by the end of the month.
If they do decide to sell and try again next year, it would be no surprise if they capitalized on Taylor Ward’s value to bring in some young talent. Ward’s name has come up around the trade deadline for several years now, but his performances so far this season have definitely put his name on some top teams’ radars.
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter listed the division rival Seattle Mariners as one such team, as they are in clear need of a corner outfielder to solve their problems in right.
“Right field has been a revolving door for the Mariners this season, with Leody Taveras (23 starts), Dominic Canzone (23 starts), Luke Raley (16 starts) and Dylan Moore (12 starts) splitting time,” wrote Reuter. “The ask might be a bit higher from a division rival, but he could be the bat the Mariners are missing.”
Ward leads the Angels with 23 homers this season, and is on track to hit league average for the sixth straight season. He broke the Angels franchise record for most consecutive games with an extra-base hit earlier this season with 10, and the .795 OPS he has this season would be the second best mark of his career.
The left fielder’s career high in home runs is 25, which he set last year, and he is well on his way to breaking his own record with nearly the entire second half of the season still to play. Ward has especially come up big in the Angels current series against the Philadelphia Phillies, where he homered in the opening two games and blew the third open with a three-run double in the second inning.
The Angels would obviously like to avoid selling at the deadline, as they want nothing more than to break their 10-season playoff duck. They will do everything in their power to keep Ward under their control, however, if a team comes knocking with a good enough offer, the Angels may need to consider it.