The Los Angeles Angels kicked off the offseason with a bit of a surprising trade. The Angels traded outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez in a rare one-for-one swap.
Ward’s name had circulated in trade rumors all year, and after they held him past the deadline, it only was a matter of time before he was moved.
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The Angels are also facing a decade-plus playoff drought, so there is some sense of desperation in Anaheim to see meaningful October baseball being played once again.
Whether or not the Angels make more trades remains to be seen, but there could be some more moves with free agency underway as well.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com named one trade candidate for every team. For the Angels, he mentioned outfielder Jo Adell.
“The Angels already shipped out one of their outfielders, trading impending free agent Ward to the Orioles for starter Rodriguez, who has four years of club control remaining. Adell is under control for two more seasons, and after breaking out in 2025 with 37 home runs, 98 RBIs and a .778 OPS, it wouldn’t be shocking to see what type of return Los Angeles can get for the 26-year-old.”
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Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register also mentioned Adell as a candidate earlier in the offseason.
“The Angels are also likely to consider trading either Ward or Adell, which could help them fill one of their other holes.”
Adell hit .236 with 37 home runs and 98 RBI in 2025 in 152 games for the Angels. The year before, he had 20 home runs and 62 RBI in 130 games, but with a low .207 batting average.
Still, he could be an attractive piece for teams in need of defensive help and a power bat, so the Angels could be wise to at least explore the market and see what is out there for him.