The 2025 MLB Hot Stove season is starting to warm up, and it’s starting with an intriguing deal, a one-for-one swap that gave the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Angels some help for each team.
This one involves Grayson Rodriguez — once a top MLB prospect who was injured all of last season — and Taylor Ward, who just came off a career year. A bat for an arm could be the thing that helps each team… or it’s a bit of a risk that we’ll get into in a sec.
As always, we’re handing out trade grades for each side. Let’s break down this deal that happened on Tuesday:
Angels-Orioles trade details
ANGELS GET: SP Grayson Rodriguez
ORIOLES GET: OF Taylor Ward
Orioles trade grades
The O’s needed an outfield bat, and they got one in Ward, who hit a career-high 36 dingers last year and drove in 103 runs. Now: Does that mean he’ll do it again? At age 31? Seems like he’s been trending upwards after a .246/25/75 year in 2024, so maybe the Orioles think the answer is yes.
What’s weird is the Orioles actually need starting pitching more than Ward, but maybe this is a sign we’ll see some moves made in the offseason to shore up the rotation.
GRADE: B+
Angels trade grade
Grabbing a young prospect who has controllable years on his contract is a great move, especially when you still have Jo Adell, Jorge Soler and Mike Trout in the outfield, which meant Ward was a trade chip.
Will Rodriguez get back to the pitcher he once was with all that potential? Giving up a slugger like Ward is a risk, especially after the young hurler missed all of 2025 with an elbow issue.
I want to give an “incomplete” grade, but let’s be bold here. This COULD be an “A” in a year, but we have to bake in the risk.
GRADE: B-