Angels Predicted to Send Star Outfielder to AL West Rival in Trade Deadline Shocker

The Los Angeles Angels recently revealed all of their pending free agents will be available at the trade deadline. This includes closer Kenley Jansen, starting pitcher Tyler Anderson, third baseman Yoan Moncada and infielder Luis Rengifo.

Although left fielder Taylor Ward is under team control through the 2026 season, the Angels have also said he will be available for trade if the right offer comes along.

The Houston Astros, who lead the American League West, have been predicted to be targeting Ward at the deadline. They have not had any consistency in left field, so they could use an everyday left fielder like Ward for the second half of the season.

The Astros have been swapping between Jose Altuve, Cooper Hummel and Taylor Trammell in left field. Altuve has also been Houston’s designated hitter and plays at second base, but the Astros would benefit from adding another strong bat like Ward’s to their lineup.

Ward is one of the most powerful hitters in the AL. The right-handed batter ranks fifth in the AL with 23 home runs and 14th with a .481 slugging percentage. His 76 RBI is the fourth-most in the AL, and his 56 runs rank 19th.

The Angels might be more hesitant to trade Ward because he is not a pending free agent, and he is one of their best hitters. If Los Angeles does not make the postseason this year, they will be pushing to return to October play in 2026.

Keeping Ward on their roster could be beneficial as they hope to end MLB’s longest current postseason drought. However, trading him would give the Halos a chance to acquire more players that can help them for multiple years to come.

The Angels are still within reach of the third AL Wild Card spot, despite falling farther back in the race in recent weeks. Los Angeles is just 4.5 games behind, so a couple strong weeks could put them in a contending spot. 

The Halos have been expected to be major buyers at the deadline. But if the Astros can come up with a valuable offer, the Angels could be open to trading the eight-season veteran.