The Baltimore Orioles received a lot of praise for their offseason. Signing slugging first baseman Pete Alonso away from the New York Mets, Baltimore finally landed a big fish in free agency after having missed out on the last several they had reportedly pursued in recent years. Not limiting their additions to the open market, the Orioles also swung a trade with the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed hitting outfielder Taylor Ward to bolster the middle of their lineup.
These two moves, along with others, had many feeling Baltimore could be a real threat in the loaded American League East division. Unfortunately, things have not played out that way, as despite their big come-from-behind victory on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays, Baltimore still sits five games below .500 at 27-32.
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A big reason for this underperformance has been the underwhelming play of both Alonso and Ward. Through 59 games this season, Alonso has just a .748 OPS, which is a career worst. His slugging percentage is also way down, as the Mets’ all-time leader in homers is running a career-worst .433 slugging percentage.
Ward has underwhelmed even more than Alonso.
Baltimore Orioles left fielder Taylor Ward, Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
After a season with the Angels where he hit a career-high 36 home runs and drove in 103 runs, which was also a career best, Ward has just two home runs this season. His .354 slugging percentage is the worst mark of his career since 2019, when he appeared in just 20 games. The power he showed in Anaheim was what Baltimore was expecting to add, but it has been nonexistent.
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This has some wondering whether Baltimore could look to quickly flip the impending free agent at this year’s MLB trade deadline. In a recent article, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report floated that possibility, noting Ward’s performance, impending free agency, and Baltimore’s record as reasons why he could be a candidate to be moved this season.
Despite their poor start to the year, the Orioles may still have a path to October through the Wild Card, which looks pretty forgiving in a wide open American League. But the Tampa Bay Rays at 35-20 have been the surprise of Major League Baseball and do not look to be leaving the door open for a team like Baltimore. Similarly, the 35-22 Yankees remain step for step with Tampa Bay, as the AL East looks to be a two-team race for the time being.
Should that remain the case, Ward could be available at the deadline.