Why Everyone Is Searching Taylor Ward Today: Inside the Model’s Viral Photos and Family Life

The Baltimore Orioles have swung the first major move of the MLB offseason, acquiring slugging outfielder Taylor Ward from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for 26-year-old right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. Ward, 32, is coming off a career year in which he clubbed 36 home runs, drove in 103 runs and posted an .228/.317/.476 slash line while playing 156 games, all personal bests. His right-handed power immediately lengthens an Orioles lineup that already features Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, giving Baltimore three 30-homer threats in the heart of the order. Why Baltimore pounced • 2025 AL East contenders finished just 11th in OPS versus left-handed pitching; Ward’s .525 slugging vs. southpaws answers that need. • He is arbitration-eligible through 2027, fitting the club’s cost-controlled core. • Camden Yards’ new left-field dimensions still reward Ward’s opposite-field pop, where 14 of his 36 homers landed in 2025. What the Angels gain Rodriguez, a former top-10 prospect, missed 2025 after August elbow debridement but logged a 3.86 ERA and 10.0 K/9 the year prior. If healthy, he projects as Anaheim’s No. 2 starter behind Reid Detmers, fortifying a rotation that finished 27th in ERA last season. L.A. also clears a corner-outfield spot for rising star Jo Adell, signaling a youth movement under new GM Brian Sabean. Lineup ripple effect in Baltimore 1 Cedric Mullins, CF 2 Gunnar Henderson, SS 3 Adley Rutschman, C 4 Taylor Ward, LF 5 Ryan Mountcastle, 1B 6 Jordan Westburg, 2B 7 Colton Cowser/Anthony Santander, RF 8 Ramón Urías, 3B 9 Jorge Mateo, DH/UTIL Fantasy & betting outlook Ward’s power should hold in Baltimore’s hitter-friendly AL East parks, but expect a slight average bump toward .245 thanks to a higher line-drive rate away from Angel Stadium. Rodriguez becomes a late-round lottery ticket; if his velocity returns, a 180-strikeout season is within reach. What’s next • The Angels are still listening on Jo Adell and closer Kenley Jansen, positioning themselves as one of the offseason’s most aggressive sellers. • Baltimore may flip surplus outfielders like Santander for bullpen depth. • Expect the trade market for starting pitching to accelerate before the Winter Meetings now that Rodriguez has set a cost baseline. Bottom line In moving Taylor Ward, the Angels land a potential frontline starter while the Orioles secure the right-handed thump they lacked down the stretch. The blockbuster checks boxes for both clubs and sets a high bar for the rest of the hot-stove season.