Ever since trading Austin Hays at the 2024 deadline, the Orioles have been trying to replace his right-handed bat in the lineup.
Last offseason, they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year, $49.5 million deal — the largest free agent contract awarded by Baltimore under president of baseball operations Mike Elias. On Tuesday, the Orioles traded for another veteran outfielder when they sent right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Taylor Ward.
Ward, who turns 32 in December, is coming off a career year in which he hit 36 home runs and posted a .792 OPS in 157 games. He carries a better track record of health than O’Neill and offers the same kind of right-handed power Baltimore has coveted.
Both acquisitions came at a steep cost. O’Neill, after declining his opt-out this offseason, is the highest-paid player on the Orioles’ current roster. Ward is a free agent after 2026, and Baltimore had to part with a young, controllable starting pitcher to get him. He’s also due to make $13.7 million in arbitration, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors, which makes Ward a significant investment on the payroll as well.
Yet the Orioles’ need for lineup balance is real. Their batting order skews heavily left-handed between Gunnar Henderson, Colton Cowser, Jackson Holliday and Samuel Basallo. Young outfielders Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad hit from the left side as well. Other than Jordan Westburg, who has missed significant time with injury each of the past two seasons, the Orioles have gotten very little production from their right-handed hitters.
First baseman Ryan Mountcastle was supposed to be a key right-handed bat in the middle of their lineup and instead played his way into nontender consideration. O’Neill appeared in just 54 games in 2025 as injuries piled up all summer. Coby Mayo finished the season with a strong September but is otherwise unproven. Ramón Laureano emerged as a viable contributor before being traded to San Diego at the deadline.
It’s shown in the results. The Orioles ranked 22nd in MLB last season in both on-base percentage (.297) and slugging percentage (.364) against left-handed pitching. Ward, like O’Neill before him, was acquired to address those struggles. He hit .262 with a .918 OPS opposite left-handers last season and owns an .824 career OPS against them.
Ward slots into the middle of the Orioles’ lineup, likely into the cleanup or No. 5 spot against right-handers and perhaps leadoff or No. 2 against left-handers; he has more career plate appearances at the leadoff spot than anywhere else in the lineup. It would be a surprise if the Orioles platooned him. Ward hit 29 of his 36 home runs against right-handers last season and still posted a respectable .765 OPS with them on the mound.
In the outfield, he’ll take over daily left field duties and shift Cowser into the full-time center field role. Cowser got a chance to play center down the stretch last season after the Orioles traded Cedric Mullins and showed promise, accounting for plus-one outs above average. He was much better in left (plus-seven OAA since 2024) and still needs to rein in his powerful yet sometimes erratic arm, but Cowser has the makings of the Orioles’ center fielder of the future, and the Ward acquisition is a sign of faith in his development.
Though O’Neill will return to right field as the Orioles hope for a bounce back, he’s more likely to cede at-bats to Beavers or Kjerstad. O’Neill has much more dramatic platoon splits than Ward, and the Orioles might want to limit his playing time anyway to keep him healthy. Beavers also impressed in his limited opportunity down the stretch with four homers and a .775 OPS in 35 games and will be eligible for the American League Rookie of the Year Award, which could incentivize the Orioles to play him more in hopes of netting a draft pick.
Baltimore will also have center fielder Leody Taveras and infielder-turned-corner-outfielder Jeremiah Jackson in the mix, though not enough room for all of them on the active roster.
Kjerstad will likely need to reestablish himself in Triple-A after struggling mightily in the majors last season and finishing the year on the injured list with an unspecified medical condition. Jackson had never played the outfield professionally when the Orioles thrust him into right field in August, and his infield defense needs work before he can be expected to handle a super utility role — even with his surprise offensive production. Taveras plays strong defense in center but has been a below-average hitter for most of his career.
The addition of Ward gives the Orioles an outfield surplus, begging the question of whether they deal from that stockpile to bolster the roster elsewhere. Beavers’ trade value has never been higher after multiple prospect rankings added him to their top 100 lists midseason. But dealing him would leave them vulnerable should O’Neill’s injury issues continue to be a problem. Ward is also only under team control for one season, and Beavers could be the Orioles’ everyday left fielder in 2027 if he proves up to it next year.
It doesn’t preclude the Orioles from upgrading other corners of their lineup. First base is a question mark given Mountcastle’s struggles and the uncertainty of what Mayo will be able to provide. Basallo figures to see some time there after signing an eight-year extension, but the Orioles saw what happened last year when they gambled with a lineup of young position players all expected to take steps forward. Another veteran hitter would still go a long way in shoring up what’s supposed to be the roster’s biggest strength.
Ward’s addition undoubtedly improves that unit, but it also raises more questions than answers. Elias has a full offseason ahead of him to provide some clarity.
Have a news tip? Contact Matt Weyrich at mweyrich@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/ByMattWeyrich and instagram.com/bymattweyrich.
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