Angels Outfielder Gets Honest About Not Being Traded at Deadline

Despite interest in the market for a slugger like Taylor Ward, the Los Angeles Angels did not move the 31-year-old, opting to keep him as a key part of the team.

The Angels didn't end up trading anyone at the deadline, opting instead to maintain the roster and hope for a post-deadline resurgence from younger players on the team.

Ward still has another season of team control after this one, but his age doesn't fit with the team's current timeline, considering how much younger players like Zach Neto and Nolan Schaunel are.

After the deadline passed, the left fielder made his feelings clear on staying with the Halos, the only team he has known in MLB.

“I definitely feel much more comfortable,” Ward told Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register.

“Yesterday was pretty stressful. Leading up to yesterday was stressful. So happy to be staying. Like I said, I’m looking forward to continuing, going out there with these guys and pushing for the playoffs.”

This season, Ward is hitting .232/.307/.485 with an impressive 25 home runs and 78 RBIs. If the Angels are going to make a run from an American League Wildcard spot, he will need to keep hitting the ball hard and making quality contact with the ball.

He ranks 86th percentile in barrel percentage and 73rd in batting run value, according to Baseball Savant.

Ward wasn't the only person in the organization happy that the front office didn't make any drastic changes. Interim manager Ray Montgomery believes that the team can move on from the rumors and perform.

“I think we’re taking every game day by day,” Montgomery said.

“We’ve talked about it in spring training. We’ve talked about it the beginning of the season. Now we’re in August, which is kind of cool that we’re still talking about it. So my mentality to the guys and theirs back to me has always been, ‘Let’s just play today and let the outside noise be the outside noise.’”