Seattle Mariners add needed bat in Taylor Ward

The Seattle Mariners continued to straddle the line between buying and selling on Monday.

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported that the Mariners have acquired outfielder Taylor Ward from the Baltimore Orioles. In exchange, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reported that pitchers Alex Hoppe, Harrison Kreiling and Brock Moore are heading to Baltimore. This trade follows the Mariners deal to send pitcher Luis Castillo to the White Sox for reliever Seranthony Dominguez and prospects.

Ward had put together a solid showing in his time with the Orioles. He posted a .246/.383/.346 batting line in his 506 plate appearances entering Monday, hitting seven homers and 20 doubles while drawing an AL-leading 87 walks. As a right-handed hitter, Ward will help balance out a lineup that skews to the left side.

Seattle Mariners make low-risk move to add Taylor Ward

Hoppe made 24 appearances as a middle reliever in Seattle, posting a 5.79 ERA and a 1.357 WHiP over his 28 innings, striking out 34 batters with 11 walks. His fastball can flirt with triple digits and his slider has two plane action, but his command is spotty. Hoppe should slot into a middle relief role in Baltimore.

Neither of the minor leaguers given up were on the Mariners' top prospect lists. Kreiling was a 17th-round draft choice in the 2024 MLB Draft and missed the entire 2025 season due to injury. He made four appearances this season between the Arizona Complex League and A-ball, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk, striking out 16 batters over 10.2 combined innings.

Moore is a pure relief prospect. He has a fastball that reaches triple digits and a sharp slider but struggles to command his arsenal. After dominating High-A, he has struggled since being promoted to Double-A, posting a 5.56 ERA and a 1.588 WHiP over his 22.2 innings in the Texas League, striking out 35 batters with 17 walks.