It is officially the Major League Baseball All-Star break, which means the MLB trade deadline is RIGHT around the corner.
For contending teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, who appear to be buyers ahead of the deadline, rumors are swirling from all angles. The two biggest priorities for the Phillies this trade deadline include adding a right-handed outfield bat and a back-end starter. Philadelphia sits just 2.0 games back of the NL East division lead.
One potential name that Phillies fans should keep an eye on in trade talks is Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward. However, what trade package would it take to acquire the Orioles slugger?
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Exploring What a Phillies-Orioles Trade for Taylor Ward Would Look Like
GettyANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 22: Taylor Ward #3 of the Baltimore Orioles watches his solo home run against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of a game at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on June 22, 2026 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Scott Strazzante/Getty Images)
In MLBTR.com’s annual ‘top trade candidates’ piece ahead of the deadline, Taylor Ward comes in at No. 8. Here is what Anthony Franco wrote about the idea of Ward being moved:
“Itâs probably not the exact production the Oâs expected, but Ward has unquestionably been a welcome addition to their lineup. Baltimore could consider a qualifying offer but seems likely to at least consider trade scenarios if theyâre still a few games under .500 at the deadline. The Padres, Guardians, Phillies, Diamondbacks, Astros and Rays are among teams that could use a corner outfielder.”
Across 357 at-bats this season, Taylor Ward is batting .255 with six home runs, 19 doubles, and 91 hits. He’s hit a bit of a power outage, but Ward still gets on-base at a very high clip (.387), and carries an OPS+ of 113, which is still above league-average.
Here is a reasonable and fair hypothetical trade package the Phillies could offer the Orioles in return for Taylor Ward:
- Phillies receive: OF Taylor Ward
- Orioles receive: P Andrew Painter, RHP Moises Chace, and Devin Saltiban
Chace and Saltiban are both top-25 prospects in the Phillies system, but the main centerpiece of this deal is Andrew Painter, who the Phillies seriously might need to consider moving on from.
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What Stops This Hypothetical Trade from Happening?
The Baltimore Orioles are 46-51 this season.
However, with such a weak American League, they (and just about every other team) are just a few games away from being in postseason position.
With that being said, trading away Taylor Ward isn’t exactly a sign of selling, because Ward is expected to hit free agency this offseason and is unlikely to return to Baltimore anyway.
This feels like a very favorable trade for the Phillies to make, as Dave Dombrowski is usually very willing to part with prospects, and Ward would help the Phillies lineup drastically with balance among the core of batters.
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