Earlier this week, the Houston Astros' AL West rival, the Los Angeles Angels, executed a trade with the Baltimore Orioles. The Halos shipped longtime outfielder Taylor Ward to the East Coast in exchange for oft-injured starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.
Ward is in the final year of his arbitration window, and while he has loads of pop, there are definite flaws in his game. The 31-year-old provides little defense, is a below-average runner, and hasn't posted an OPS above .800 since 2022. Yet despite all the imperfections, the Angels were able to secure a starting pitcher with plenty of upside and team control through 2029.