Angels' theft of Grayson Rodriguez looks even better after Taylor Ward-Orioles deal

When the offseason began, the biggest rumors coming out of Anaheim were about the need to trade away one of Jo Adell or Taylor Ward. That duo plus Mike Trout made for an incredibly talented outfield group, but one that did not include a player who could play center field at a reliable level defensively. And with so many other holes on their roster, Ward or Adell would be an incredible way to improve the overall team.

That trade wound up being for Baltimore Orioles' starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. In terms of talent alone, Ward is a far more accomplished, proven player. The potential of Rodriguez eventually proving he was worthy of being the top pitching prospect in baseball was enticing enough for general manager Perry Minasian to pull the trigger, and the four years of control attached to Rodriguez certainly helped.

Above all else, though, was the potential savings in a Ward-Rodriguez swap. And now, the Halos know just how much they saved.

Angels' savings in Rodriguez-Ward swap official

With Ward going into his final year of arbitration and Rodriguez still making league minimum, the Angels knew the trade would be financially beneficial. And Thursday was an important date for the Angels to find out exactly how beneficial it would be to their payroll.

Thursday was the deadline for teams and players to agree to contracts before heading to arbitration. The players are not free agents, but rather it gives the two parties a chance to go into Spring Training without any bad blood from potential arbitration meetings.

For Ward and the Orioles, they were able to come to an agreement of $12.175 million for the 2026 season. Ward made just under eight million dollars in 2025, so this marks a substantial raise for the slugging outfielder - and makes the Rodriguez heist look even better for Minasian and the Angels.

With Rodriguez estimated to make $820,000 in 2026, the Angels saved just over $11 million. Considering their value approach to free agency thus far, the Angels' net spending for the offseason is just over $1.5 million. Given they have added three relievers and a starting pitcher with that money, the Angels have taken value to the next level.

The Angels' trade of Ward set themselves up for the first part of the offseason. Under Perry Minasian (who has yet to make his signature move as Angels' general manager), the team has always looked for value in free agency. The Ward savings allowed them to do this, and now they can approach the rest of the offseason with a willingness to spend big due to the Anthony Rendon restructuring.