An early look at 4 Angels players most likely to be traded by the trade deadline

3. Outfielder Taylor Ward

Unlike the first two on this list, outfielder Taylor Ward seems a bit less likely to move given the Angels' recent trade-deadline decisions. The team seems to only consider moving players in the final year of their deals, opting to hang on to the likes of Rengifo and Anderson last year despite falling out of contention.

After signing a below-market contract to avoid arbitration earlier this offseason, Ward has one more year of team control left after 2025, meaning the team doesn't have to move him. Over the last three seasons, Ward has been one of the Angels' best and most available performers.

While he won't win any gold gloves, he's about an average defender in left field with 20-25 homer potential every season. Overall offensively he's a complete player who has posted wRC+ numbers of 134, 107, and 111 in each of the last three seasons, respectively.

On top of that, the Angels don't have a ton of outfield depth to push him out the door. Jo Adell and Mickey Moniak will both play prominent roles as they fight for the starting right field spot. While both players are younger than Ward and have potential, neither has reached a level where they can truly be counted on.

An X-factor could be Matthew Lugo, 23, who was acquired from Boston last year. Lugo only played one game in the Halos' system last season before going down with injury, however, his combined line between AA and AAA last year was a sparkling .287/.376/.578 with 17 dingers.

Trade rumors have enveloped Ward for some time dating back to last season and at times intensifying throughout this offseason. While a Ward trade doesn't fit the Angels M.O. and there aren't a ton of in-house options ready to replace him, the value he could provide in a trade may be overwhelming.