The New York Post’s Dylan Hernandez pegged Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward as a trade candidate.
Ward, who will turn 28 come the start of the season, has spent his entire professional career in the Dodgers organization, but hasn’t cracked into the MLB squad despite his impressive showings in the minor leagues. Hernandez expects that to remain the case after All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker’s arrival.
“The downside of coming up in an organization like the Dodgers is that because they have to win now, they don’t have the luxury of gambling on prospects,” Hernandez wrote. “The Dodgers will take a look at him to see if he could be a late bloomer like Max Muncy, but his real chance might come elsewhere. Other teams are interested, making him a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline.”
Oklahoma City’s Ryan Ward (10) throws to first for an out during the minor league baseball between the Oklahoma City Comets and the Tacoma Rainers a the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, April, 16, 2025.How Did Ryan Ward Perform in 2025?
Ward has dominated Triple-A over the past two seasons, producing noticeable power in the outfield and slowly reducing his strikeout rate.
He had his best professional season to date last year, hitting 36 home runs and tallying 122 RBIs in 143 games. He slashed .290/.380/.557 in 652 games, and cut his strikeout rate to 18.7% from 26.8% in just one season. Ward’s efforts in the Pacific Coast league earned him the league’s MVP award, but he couldn’t break into the MLB team.
The Dodgers played former All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto in left field last season, and he struggled massively at the plate. The 32-year-old batted below the Mendoza Line through 138 games last season, and posted a sub-.700 OPS for the first time in his career.
Conforto’s struggled led to calls for Ward, but he never got the call up.
The veteran left to free agency in the offseason, leaving a spot up for grabs in the outfield giving Ward a chance at taking the position, but the Tucker’s arrival has shut down any chance of Ward taking an Opening Day starting spot.
Ward can potentially land a spot on the Opening Day roster as a fourth-choice outfielder, but his playing time will be limited due to the players in front of him. L.A. could get a solid return if they trade him, but reliability off the bench could be invaluable to them as they chase their third consecutive World Series title.
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