Forty-one games into the 2026 season, there are a handful of MLB teams that have been disappointing. Three of those teams are in the American League East. They are the Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Toronto Blue Jays.
When the season began, many saw the AL East as one of the best divisions in baseball. That hasn’t been the case. The National League Central is making a case for that title. There have been a handful of other disappointing teams across MLB, and it’s beginning to create some early trade talks.
Nobody is really supposed to sell in May; however, it’s hard to ignore that some names popping up could be moved. One of those names is Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward.
Baltimore Orioles Outfielder Taylor Ward Tabbed Trade Candidate
Again, nobody is dumping any big-name players in May. Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report listed eight surprise players who could be moved by the trade deadline in early August. Ward was mentioned after coming over from the Los Angeles Angels in a trade this past offseason that sent Grayson Rodriguez to the West Coast.
“There is a reality, though, that the AL East will still likely prove to be baseball’s toughest division, and if the O’s don’t end up having a path to the postseason, president of baseball operations Mike Elias will likely have a hard time not trading Ward before he walks in free agency,” wrote Kelly.
Baltimore sits at 18-23 after a 2-1 win over the first-place Athletics on Sunday at home. However, they have a run differential plus/minus of minus-41, the worst in the American League. Only the San Francisco Giants have a worse one in MLB at minus-48. Heck, the Colorado Rockies have just a minus-35.
In 40 games this season, Ward is slashing .262/.426/.376 with just one home run, 13 doubles, and just 12 RBIs. Those are not the numbers Elias and Baltimore thought they were getting after Ward hit 36 home runs and drove in 102 last season for Los Angeles.
Baltimore Orioles and Mike Elias Could Be Facing Tough Decisions
When the season began in late March, not many had the Orioles in this position. However, they open up a three-game homestand against the New York Yankees, looking to turn things around. If they don’t and fall further behind the Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, then some tough discussions might be on tap.
“The ideal scenario for the Orioles would be that Ward is part of a lineup with Gunnar Henderson, Pete Alonso, Adley Rutschman, and Samuel Basallo that makes Baltimore into a playoff contender, at the very least,” Kelly wrote.
There is still a lot of time left in the 2026 campaign. You can’t win a division or clinch a playoff berth in May. However, you can bury yourself in the standings and make things difficult to come late summer and into September. If Elias does end up trading some players, Ward would be someone a contender would look to add for depth and a bat off the bench. Things could get interesting if Baltimore doesn’t turn things around soon.
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