Angels' top trade asset publicly pleads for the team to not trade him before deadline

If Angels players want to keep this team together through the MLB trade deadline, they basically need to sweep the Texas Rangers to re-establish themselves as American League wild card contenders. In the first game of the pivotal series, Taylor Ward crushed his 25th home run of the season which tied him the ninth most in baseball. Fans that want the team to sell at the deadline were praying that rival scouts took note of that power stroke, but Ward and the people that want the Angels to win were praying that his dinger (and the victories on Monday and Tuesday) helped convince Arte Moreno and Perry Minasian to hold onto their cleanup hitter.

Angels' top trade asset publicly pleads for the team to not trade him before deadline

More from Ward, ironically per Baseball America's Taylor Blake Ward: "I would love (to spend the rest of my career here)... I understand this is a business and Perry has to do what is best for the club. I hope me staying here is best for the club."

Ward was the 26th overall selection of the 2015 MLB Draft, and the Angels developed him as a catcher in the minor leagues. The first rounder eventually transitioned into the outfield and turned himself into one of the more powerful hitters in the organization the past few years. From 2022-2025, Ward and Mike Trout are tied for the team-lead with 87 home runs. Ward has the most hits, RBIs and runs scored in that span, showing his availability and effectiveness for the franchise. Outside of Trout, he is the longest tenured Angels player.

Ward is a team-first type of player, calling the young Logan O'Hoppe the leader of the team last season despite the catcher not being with the organization that long at all. Ward begging the team that drafted and developed him to let him play the year out with this unit is unsurprising, it's in his nature.

As Ward goes, the Angels go. That is sort of a double-edged sword, as the left fielder has long-been a streaky hitter. His fluctuation in on-field productivity, coupled with what the Angels need from him in order to win, are a small part in why the Angels have the longest active postseason drought in baseball.

With players like O'Hoppe, Zach Neto, Nolan Schanuel, Jo Adell and Trout finding their stride this season, the Angels do not need Ward to be super-human in order to remain in the playoff hunt. Despite the team being more well-rounded than they have been in a long time, Ward has turned in a marvelous season. The 31-year-old has his warts, namely his brutal K%, poor range and arm strength from the outfield and poor baserunning, which causes some to believe the Angels would not bring back as much as fans think they would if they were to trade him. However, he is likely their best trade chip depending on how teams around the league feel about Adell.

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