Orioles president Mike Elias discusses trade for Ward and pursuit of pitching help

The Baltimore Orioles viewed outfielder Taylor Ward as something of a scarce commodity.

So much so that they were willing to trade a young, cost-controlled pitcher for him.

“I wasn’t confident where else somebody like him would come from, on the free-agent and trade market right now, that had the sort of bat that we think he has and what he did last year,” Orioles team president Mike Elias said Friday night. “We leaned into the trade. It’s uncomfortable to make trades usually. It’s hard to line up, and you’re going to give something up that is always going to be difficult and interesting.”

The deal earlier this week was certainly intriguing. Baltimore traded 26-year-old right-hander Grayson Rodriguez — once viewed as one of the organization’s most promising starters — for Ward. Rodriguez hasn’t pitched since July 31, 2024, because of various injury issues. Ward, meanwhile, is coming off a 36-homer season. But Ward can become a free agent after the 2026 season, whereas Rodriguez isn’t even eligible for arbitration yet.

“We’re certainly aware of the mismatch in the amount of potential team control remaining on these two guys,” Elias said. “Ward is going into his free-agent year. He also has the potentiality to generate a qualifying offer. I think if he does what he did in 2025, that’s a real possibility. So that could change that equation a little bit.”

The Orioles still have a couple other starters — Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells — who returned from major operations this year, and their innings could need to be monitored. Rodriguez, meanwhile, didn’t pitch at all in 2025.

“I will say what I said publicly weeks ago, that he’s missed well over a year. There’s obvious ramifications from that,” Elias said. “This was a tough trade. On both sides, there’s value given up in any trade, and particularly in this one.”

On Friday, the Orioles reached a $2.25 million agreement for 2026 with injured closer Félix Bautista, avoiding salary arbitration. They also non-tendered right-hander Albert Suárez, although Elias suggested the team could still try to bring him back as a free agent.

Baltimore appears to have quite an expansive wish list this offseason. The Orioles haven’t been terribly aggressive in free agency of late, but after falling from a division title in 2023 to a wild card in 2024 and then a last-place finish in the AL East in 2025, Baltimore may be ready to show more urgency.

“I’ve been pretty clear and direct. We’re trying to find, whether it’s ‘top’ or ‘front’ or ‘top half’ of the rotation, all those buckets,” Elias said. “We’re trying, and there are guys out there, and we are in pursuit of every one of them.”

Elias said the Orioles are also trying to add a ninth-inning reliever to replace Bautista, who is expected to miss most of next season after surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff and torn labrum.

Elias also said Baltimore might not be done trying to add impact hitters, although the Orioles obviously have high hopes for the 31-year-old Ward.

“He’s actually somebody that we’ve been chasing for at least a couple years,” Elias said. “I think it brings a lot of stability to our outfield picture.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb