Angels Outfielder Has 45 Percent Chance of Being Traded at Deadline, Says Insider

As the Los Angeles Angels approach the trade deadline, there are a few different routes that the team can go down before the end of July.

Many around the organization, including a few key veterans, believe that the Halos can beat anybody down the stretch. At the same time, there seem to be as many people calling for the Angels to sell their remaining assets and replenish a desperate farm system.

The predicament for the Angels is if they should look towards the future or towards breaking the longest-active postseason drought in MLB.

ESPN insiders Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan went through the top 50 trade deadline candidates and gave each a percentage of how likely it is that they will be moved.

Angels left fielder Taylor Ward was handed a 45 percent chance to be flipped according to the insiders.

"Ward comes with an additional year of team control after this season, and his underlying numbers suggest he is still largely the same hitter as last year, when he posted a .246 average and 25 homers."

The San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants were listed as the best fits for the outfielder.

Ward has one more year of arbitration left, which could spell a much larger return for Anaheim as opposed to a player who will be a free agent in about three months. The 31-year-old outfielder currently has 23 home runs (two away from last season's total) and 76 RBIs (one more than last season's total).

His OPS+ of 115 ranks him 15 percent better than league average, and his .488 slugging percentage is the highest it has ever been across his eight seasons in the big leagues.

Ward shows immense value, but if a deal doesn't blow the Angels away, coming across a cheaper and more productive outfielder can prove to be a challenge not only for the remainder of this season, but for 2026 as well.

The Angels must first define who they want to be at the trade deadline, and once that answer is given, then the deals can start flowing. But if the Halos want to be playing meaningful baseball in October for the first time since 2014, perhaps Ward is who they will want in the outfield.