Overview
- Both clubs announced the deal late Tuesday, sending Rodriguez to Los Angeles and bringing Ward to Baltimore.
- Ward, a right-handed bat, is coming off a career year with 36 home runs and 103 RBIs in 157 games and is projected to earn about $13.7 million in his final arbitration season before free agency after 2026.
- Rodriguez missed all of 2025 with multiple arm issues and underwent elbow debridement surgery in August after earlier shoulder and lat problems.
- The 26-year-old right-hander remains under team control through 2029, giving the Angels cost-controlled rotation upside if he returns to form.
- Reports indicate Rodriguez is expected to be ready for spring training, though his recovery remains the pivotal unknown as the Orioles’ need for starting pitching grows.