The Orioles Need To Trade Taylor Ward. Immediately

The Grayson Rodriguez for Taylor Ward trade is looking like quite the lose/lost proposition.

The Orioles are making a strong run at being the biggest disappointment in baseball for two years running and the Angels are as bad as any team in the American League, again, and neither of these particulars is showing any sign of being what was expected.

Rodriguez was supposed to put his ailments behind him and at least be an MLB arm (even if only in the bullpen, but that hasn’t been the case), and Ward was supposed to be the rare right-handed bat who could overcome failed Orioles baseball czar’s embarrassing butcherings (yeah, plural) of left field at Camden Yards and provide middle-of-the-order thump to a lineup in need of proven MLB run producers.

The Angles got a potentially injured-marred arm that might not even be able to overcome the deterioration that began under Elias’s watch with an injury in AAA and then being allowed to pitch in an exhibition game when he was throwing four-seamers below 90 mph. The Orioles got a guy who no longer even really seems like he wants to swing the bat all – walking has become his highest calling – and who cannot hit with anyone on base and who has been broken, like so many others, by Elias’s tinkering with the ballpark.

It’s been a lose, lose with both franchises in lost season, and it’s time for Baltimore to cuts its losses. Now. Immediately. And get Ward out of here not at the deadline, but like as soon as possible. Sunday’s feeble at bat in the 10th inning, working a count in his favor with the bases loaded before grounding out, captured the essence of what Elias brought to Birdland with this move – a guy who can’t play left field even close to league average and has issues throwing and even when he gets on base can’t use speed or athleticism to help produce runs.

Sunk Cost

It’s beyond time to move Ward and his expiring contact so we can watch Dylan Beavers – at least young and twitchy and with upside – try to patrol left field and maybe learn to play a position. Or just put Leody Taveras there. Or call up Enrique Bradfield Jr. – a plus defender and speed merchant who they took n the first round in 2023 – and give him a look now that he’s on a heater in AAA.

Please, just no more Ward. Or not much more Ward.

Especially when Elias – through his latest puppet skipper offer no pushback or baseball acumen of his own – will insist this shattered ex-slugger bat first or fourth on the lineup. Because he wants to look smart and he wants to try to prove himself and he’s willing to tank seasons in the process; winning is secondary.

How failed is this?

Ward leads the team with 254 plate appearances at Camden Yards, despite having five extra base hits at home all season (four of them are doubles). Somehow, he has one homer and 10 RBIs for the season at home. Somehow, he has a .248/.390/.282 slash at home … and is still just third on the team in runs scored at home despite hitting leadoff all the time and getting on base 39 percent of the time with all those walks.

Because it’s about trying to prop up a lose/lose trade. Blaze Alexander has a top 10 wRC+ in all of MLB from April 28 through the All-Star break when he was hurt, and was stuck batting 8th or 9th so Ward could provide nothing leading off. And Blaze can run and create some energy on base; Ward has two steals and two caught stealing at home all season.

This is how clowns run a baseball team into the ground.

Alexander gets on base as much as anyone in MLB for over two months and is top 10 in OPS, and he bats before Ward, in the leadoff sport, getting more cracks at opposing pitching at home than any teammate … so Ward can slug .250 at home with men on base into August with 2 XBH in 98 PA in those spots with a .648 OPS. Alexander, at home, with men on base, has a wRC+ of 178(!!!!) and an OPS of .976 but he’s had 40 fewer plate appearances than the energy vampire leading off every night.

No, it’s not injuries that are the root of this gongshow – and even much of that is due to Elias being cheap and cocky with his medical staff. It’s idiotic and sophomoric stuff like this that dooms them.

Take home/road splits out of it: Ward has seven homers and 27 RBIs – that was a good three-week stretch for him in Anaheim. He is lost and wants to take every pitch and he has no future here. Peddle that .386 OBP somewhere else ASAP. He’s batting .186 with men in scoring position, so unless he’s walking with the bases loaded, you are getting none of what you acquired his services for.

This team is dreadful hitting in those situations and has been for years and he’s actually making it worse and they are deadest on him batting in the first or fourth slot and they are forcing others in deep slumps to do the same.

Let’s see Beavers leading off against righties (and some lefties too) and let’s see Ward in another uniform quickly. Enough is enough.

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