BALTIMORE — The trade rumors had circulated around Taylor Ward for years. The 31-year-old outfielder had known for a while that he could be dealt at any time.
“I had no idea,” Ward said in a Zoom call with the Baltimore media on Monday. “You could say it was definitely a blindside. I had no idea that the Orioles were interested in me, but definitely thankful, grateful for the opportunity and excited to get going with them.”
Ward may not have known about the O’s interest, but the club had been targeting the slugger for quite some time.
“There’s a lot to like with Taylor Ward. He’s actually somebody that we’ve been chasing for at least a couple years, just because of the profile, the big right-handed power,” president of baseball operations Mike Elias said. “I think it brings a lot of stability to our outfield picture. I think it’s going to hopefully make the rest of the lineup better.”
Coming off a disappointing 75-87 performance in 2025, Baltimore is poised to have an aggressive offseason in hopes of a quick turnaround in ’26. Ward will be a big piece of the Orioles’ attempt to reach the postseason for the third time in four years.
Ward isn’t too familiar with the O’s, but he’s impressed with what he’s seen from the opposing dugout at times over the past four seasons.
“I just think that the whole group is a solid group, a lot of young players. Just excited to step in and help produce in that lineup,” Ward said. “This team’s definitely capable of making a deep playoff run, and I’m excited to join that.”
It’s likely that Ward will be the regular left fielder for the Orioles while serving as an impact bat in the middle of the order. He is coming off a 2025 campaign in which he set career highs in doubles (31), home runs (36), RBIs (103) and walks (75).
But the eight-year MLB veteran has more to his résumé. Ward owns a .783 OPS in 545 games over the past four seasons, a span in which he’s hit .251 with 98 homers and 10.2 bWAR.
Ward is known for being a selective hitter who works the count well and doesn’t chase many pitches. His power reached another level this past season, as he slugged 11 more home runs than in any other year in his big league career.
“I’m a huge believer in mechanics. I think when mechanics are clicking, everything pretty much falls in line,” Ward said. “It’s crazy how sensitive the teeter-totter is with mechanics, and I just think last year I was probably the most consistent with it.
“I think there’s a lot more in the tank, especially with average and cutting down on strikeouts and things like that. That’s what I’m going to be focused on this offseason, and just continuing to dial in the mechanics side of things and the consistency side of things with that.”
It didn’t take long for Ward to begin having conversations with members of the O’s staff. He said he spoke on the phone with manager Craig Albernaz the night of the trade and has had numerous talks with hitting coach Dustin Lind. Both are new to Baltimore for the 2026 season, and Ward described them as “fiery guys.”
A notable component of the Angels-Orioles trade was the contract status of each player. While Rodriguez had four more years of club control, Ward is entering his final season of salary arbitration and is set to become a free agent after the 2026 campaign.
If Ward has a big year, he could become a candidate for a qualifying offer for 2027. Even if that isn’t the case, a strong season would set him up well for the market next offseason.
None of that is on Ward’s mind, though. He’s focused on coming to Baltimore and trying to help his new team win games with both his glove and his bat.
“I think nothing changes,” Ward said. “I’m a simple guy, simple thoughts. Just trying to keep things simple and not overthink anything. Obviously, I’ve played a lot of baseball to this point, so just trying to improve on little areas and swing at good pitches and stay good with the mechanics, and everything else should take care of itself.”
