The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 MLB Trade Deadline.The tradeMariners get: OF Taylor Ward
Orioles get: RHR Alex Hoppe, RHR Brock Moore and RHP Harrison KreilingA good idea does not always result in a good outcomeMariners: B+
Orioles: B-Taylor Ward, the idea, was perfect for the Orioles. The organization has been asked by an increasingly impatient fan base to “occasionally do something” over the last few offseasons, which was a high bar for them to clear. With Ward, though, the would-be contenders saw an opportunity to get a right-handed power bat in the middle of their lineup. It cost them Grayson Rodriguez, who was once a much bigger part of the organization’s plans, but the gamble was worth it.The season, however, was not worth it. The Orioles stunk out of the gate, so they couldn’t even appreciate the consolation prize of Ward’s league-leading 87 walks. It was worth a shot, though, and they ended up turning Rodriguez into a sign of win-now effort and three young pitchers. That’s not a bad exchange, even if it took an organizational Rube Goldberg machine to get there. When asked about the arms headed to Baltimore, Keith Law had this to say: “Moore is up to 99 with a 55 slider but it’s reliever all the way and he’s walking almost 17 percent in Double A. Kreiling just got back from Tommy John surgery and has barely pitched; he’s got a good slider and a decent delivery — he might be something, even though he’s 24 in Low A.”
