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Angels' Major Offseason Trade Has Not Panned Out
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Angels' Major Offseason Trade Has Not Panned Out

Originally posted on Athlon Sports  |  By Andrew Jamieson  |  Last updated Jul 9, 2026 11:55 AM ET
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The Los Angeles Angels made a major gamble on Grayson Rodriguez.

In the first big trade of the offseason, Los Angeles acquired the 26-year-old right-hander from the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for outfielder Taylor Ward.

The move was a huge risk on Los Angeles' part. Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to right elbow inflammation, a right lat strain, and surgery to remove bone spurs from his right elbow.

Even before injuries wiped out his 2025 campaign, health concerns had followed Rodriguez throughout his career. MLB Pipeline's top pitching prospect in 2022 was limited to just 20 starts in 2024 because of right shoulder inflammation and a teres major strain.

Meanwhile, the Angels parted ways with one of their most durable players. Ward appeared in at least 155 games during both the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Still, Los Angeles believed Rodriguez had the upside to become the franchise's next ace. Unfortunately, the injuries have continued to pile up.

After making four Spring Training starts, Rodriguez landed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, forcing him to miss the start of 2026. He looked sharp in two rehab starts, striking out 18 batters while allowing just three runs and two walks over 9.2 innings.

Following those impressive performances, Rodriguez made his Angels debut on May 17 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was a rough introduction, as he surrendered seven runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings.

His struggles have continued since. In six starts this season, Rodriguez is 2-2 with an 8.06 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across 25.2 innings. He has recorded 24 strikeouts against 15 walks, while opponents are batting .305 against him.

Rodriguez's season took another turn on June 15 when he landed on the 15-day injured list with lower back inflammation. He has not been consistently healthy in his first season with Los Angeles. Yet even when available, he has not pitched like the frontline starter the Angels envisioned when they acquired him.

The trade looks even worse when compared to Ward's production in Baltimore.

Ward has appeared in 92 of the Orioles' 93 games this season and is slashing .254/.382/.353 with five home runs and 24 RBIs. While his power numbers are down and his defense has been inconsistent, reflected by his -1 Outs Above Average, Ward has been a bright spot during an otherwise disappointing season for Baltimore.

Availability is often the best ability in baseball. From that standpoint, Baltimore has clearly won the trade.

Still, it is too early to declare the deal a complete loss for Los Angeles.

Rodriguez remains under team control through the 2029 season and is still only 26 years old. He also recently turned in an impressive rehab outing, allowing one run on four hits and no walks while striking out five over 5.1 innings for Triple-A Salt Lake on July 4.

For an Angels team that owns the worst record in MLB at 37-56, Rodriguez still looks to be an important part of the organization's long-term plans. The biggest question moving forward is whether he can finally stay healthy and rediscover the form that once made him one of baseball's top prospects.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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