4 Angels are prime candidates to be traded at the deadline

This could be the year that outfielder Taylor Ward is finally traded from the Angels

Taylor Ward has quietly been one of the Halos' best hitters over the last three seasons as the late-bloomer finally made his way to the bigs after several minor-league position changes slowed his progress.

The 31-year-old outfielder still has one year of team control left after this season as a result, and the Angels' recent reluctance to trade players not in their walk year might make him feel like an odd inclusion to this list.

However, trade rumors have swirled around Ward for some time, and as recently as this past offseason he had been rumored to be on the move before ultimately being pulled back.

Owner of a career 111 wRC+ Ward provides a little bit of everything. He hit a career-best 25 homers last season, showcasing his pop. He, at times, has showcased above-average contact skills and plate discipline, making him an ideal lead-off hitter. While he's not going to win any gold gloves, he's also a competent defender in left field.

That's an attractive package that becomes more attractive given his affordability. Ward somewhat surprisingly signed a below-market-rate one-year deal to avoid arbitration and is making just $7.825 million this season. With another full year of team control left, he might find himself as the best value bat on the trade market come July.

That could bring the largest return package of any of the players discussed so far. While Ward makes the Angels better in the now, the Angels have some youngsters nipping at his heels in the outfield.

First in line is Matthew Lugo, a soon-to-be 24-year-old outfielder acquired from the Boston Red Sox last trade deadline. Splitting time between AA and AAA Lugo posted 17 homers and a combined .287/.376/.578 line before being shut down with a hand injury almost immediately after the trade.

This spring, he's continued the impressive performance with a .304/.339/.482 mark in the season's warm-up. He'll begin the year in AAA, but he part of the future in the Angels' outfield whereas Ward's age makes him part of the past.

A bit further out, the Angels also have 19-year-old center fielder Nelson Rada who figures to be an important piece to their outfield-of-the-future. In big-league camp, Rada showed off his contact, speed, and plate discipline posting an impressive .333/.462/.333 line this spring.

Rada won't be a factor in the major league calculus until 2027 at the earliest, but the teenager did spend the entire season last year at AA despite being just 18 years old at the time. His rapid ascension through the Angels' system shows how highly he's thought of, and he and Lugo project to become two-thirds of the Halos' long-term outfield.

So while Ward is a very good and possibly underrated player, making him available at the deadline not only helps clear a path for the youth the Angels have in the system, but it also might be their best option to swing a big trade that can further revitalize their last-ranked farm system.

Injuries and/or poor performance could prevent some of these players from being moved at the deadline, but if they are all healthy and productive come July they'll all likely be wearing different uniforms to finish the season.

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