Orioles Slugger Would Be Perfect Trade Target for Phillies

Who is a good trade target for the Philadelphia Phillies?

Jul 4, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the Baltimore Orioles 4th of July hat in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the third inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

With the Philadelphia Phillies playing some great baseball of late, the focus for the team is going to have to turn to how they can get over the hump in the National League. Despite the success of late, there are a couple of clear areas of need. 

Following their dreadful start to the season, the Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball since the start of May, and there is reason to believe that when October rolls around, they will be a contender once again. 

Philadelphia features one of the best starting rotations with two of the top in the game in Cristopher Sanchez and Zack Wheeler. This duo has propelled the Phillies back into contention, and the team is now going to be trying to chase down the Atlanta Braves in the division. 

While the team has played much better, they do have some needs to address. The offense has struggled a lot at times, despite the trio of Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh all having All-Star caliber seasons. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup has not been able to do much, and getting some help for the unit is needed. One option who appears to be a perfect fit for the team is Baltimore Orioles slugger Taylor Ward. 

Ward a Perfect Fit 

Baltimore Orioles left fielder Taylor Ward | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

The Orioles were an aggressive team this winter to try to improve, but it hasn’t yielded results. Baltimore is in third place in the AL East and under the .500 mark, making the investments this offseason feel underwhelming. 

Ward was one of the most significant additions for the team in a trade with the Los Angeles Angels. The talented slugger was coming off a fantastic year in which he totaled 36 home runs and 103 RBI. Unfortunately, even though he hasn’t performed terribly, the power numbers have not been there. 

This season, he has slashed .259/.400/.353 with two home runs and 18 RBI. Obviously, the numbers are way down, but he would still be a massive upgrade over anything the Phillies currently have in the outfield. It has been unfortunate that both Justin Crawford and Adolis Garcia have struggled as much as they have offensively, and those two spots are clear ones to try to upgrade. 

With Ward being a rental, the cost wouldn’t be too much, and that is a good thing for Philadelphia, which is lacking a strong farm system. Overall, Ward would be a strong addition for the Phillies.