Orioles-Angels trade reshapes the market and hits the Reds harder than expected

Well, Taylor Ward is off the board, folks! The Los Angeles Angels shipped the outfielder east to the Charm City as part of a late-night deal with the Baltimore Orioles. In return, the O's sent oft-injured starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez to LA.

While it certainly looks like a drastic overpay on the part of the Orioles, Ward was undoubtedly on the Cincinnati Reds' radar this offseason. His 2026 salary — estimated to be north of $13 million — might've been a bit more than Cincinnati wanted to take on, but his prodigious power would've looked nice alongside Elly De La Cruz in the Reds' starting lineup. Ward smacked 36 homers last season.

But the O's trade with the Halos not only takes Ward off the board, but it likely means that Jo Adell is staying put in Anaheim. While both Adell and Ward were rumored to be available this offseason, it's doubtful that LA will want to move both outfielders in one winter.

Orioles-Angels trade like takes Reds' trade target Jo Adell off the market

At one time, Adell was a can't-miss prospect, and he finally lived up to his lofty potential in 2025. After years of being yo-yo'd between the major and minor leagues, he finally stuck in the bigs and became a key fixture in the Angels' lineup last season.

The former first-round pick hit .236/.293/.485 and slugged a team-high 37 home runs in 2025. While his 26.4% strikeout rate was rather unsightly and he has a tendency to chase pitches outside the zone, Adell represents a clear power threat; something the Reds need to acquire in some way, shape, or form this offseason.

The Ward trade doesn't preclude the Reds from talking with the Halos about a potential deal for Adell, but it likely ratchets up the asking price. While Ward is staring down an eight-figure payday next season, Adell is only expected to earn a modest $5.5 million through arbitration. Unlike Ward, Adell is also under team control for two more seasons.

After seeing the cost, however, Cincinnati may not want to make any deals with Los Angeles this offseason. Though Baltimore surely needed some added thump to their batting order, giving up three-plus seasons of a quality (though injury-prone) starter like Rodriguez is a steep price to pay. Looks like it's back to thre drawing board for Nick Krall and the Reds' front office.