Two American League outfielders will head into the season with new contracts. Taylor Ward and Austin Hays won their respective arbitration hearings against the Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles. According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, he reported that Ward would earn the $4.88 million salary figure he submitted for 2024 instead of the Angels’ $4.33 million figure. As for Hays, he will earn the $6.3 million figure his camp submitted over the $5.85 million salary that the team filed.
A Duo of American League Outfielders Have Their Day
Austin Hays
The 28-year-old has been part of the Orioles organization since being drafted in 2016. Hays has since established himself as the top prospect in Baltimore’s farm system and the No. 23 prospect back in 2018. Taking over as an everyday outfielder in 2021, Hays has put in a solid effort in the past three years. His 6% walk rate is subpar, but his strikeouts are limited at 21.6% with 54 home runs. His combined .261/.313/.439 batting line translates to a wRC+ of 10.
Defensively, most of his work comes in left field. Fangraphs has him to be valued at two wins above replacement annually in that time frame. Hays made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career last summer, hitting .275 with 16 homers and 67 RBI while earning $3.2 million.
The O’s had five players without a contract after the filing deadline. However, they avoided arbitration with Hays, Danny Coulombe, and Cionel Pérez. They have two decisions to encounter with Ryan O’Hearn and Jacob Webb. O’Hearn wants $3.8 million over the club’s $3.2 million, while Webb filed at $2.4 million to the club’s $2.2 million. He is slated to open 2024 in left field for the defending AL East division champs.
Taylor Ward
Ward was a first-round draft pick of the Angels in 2015. It took him a while to develop his game before getting to the big league level. In 2021, he showed promise, hitting eight home runs in 65 games with the Angels, slashing .250/.332/.438. It earned him more playing time in 2022, and he made the most of it. He finished the season at .281/.360/.473 line with a 137 WRC+. The 30-year-old had a .253/.335/.421 slash line with 14 home runs.
Ward is expected to continue in the outfield alongside Mike Trout and Mickey Moniak. He should be ready in time for Opening Day following surgery in August due to facial fractures from being hit in the face with a pitch.
Ward will receive a decent pay increase in his second year of arbitration eligibility. He first qualified for arbitration after 2022, avoiding arbitration with a $2.75 million salary for the 2023 season. The Angels had two arbitration cases this year. However, last week, they defeated left-handed José Suarez. Now that Ward’s case is settled, Los Angeles has no more settlements with their players.
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