Outfielder Taylor Ward has won his arbitration hearing against the Angels and will earn the $4.8MM salary figure he submitted for the 2024 season rather than the team’s $4.3MM figure, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Ward is represented by Wasserman.
Ward, now 30, was a first-round pick of the Angels back in 2015 but it took him a while to establish himself at the big league level. By the end of the 2020 season, he had appeared in 94 games scattered across three different campaigns, hitting .214/.283/.351 in that time. In 2021, he showed some positive momentum, hitting eight home runs in 65 games at the big league level and slashing .250/.332/.438 for a wRC+ of 110.
That earned him some regular run in 2022 and he initially made the most of it, seeming like one of the best hitters on the planet for a time. Through May 20, he had hit nine home runs in 131 plate appearances and was slashing .370/.481/.713 for a wRC+ of 235. But it was at that time that he suffered a “stinger” in a wall collision and his performance dipped, though he still finished the season at .281/.360/.473 line for a wRC+ of 137.
Last year, he was performing at a solid level, though beneath his breakout 2022 season. He was hitting .253/.335/.421 for a wRC+ of 107 when, in late July, he was hit in the face by a pitch from Alek Manoah of the Blue Jays. Ward suffered facial fractures and required a trip to the injured list, from which he was not able to return, undergoing surgery while away.
He first qualified for arbitration after 2022 as a Super Two player. He and the Halos avoided arb by agreeing to a $2.75MM salary for the 2023 season. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected Ward for a bump to $4.5MM in 2024. The two sides couldn’t come to an agreement prior to the filing deadline and ended up submitting numbers pretty close to that projection, just a few hundred thousand on either side. But the arbiters aren’t allow to pick a middle ground and decided to go with the number from Ward’s camp, giving him the slightly higher raise.
Ward will be eligible for two more passes through the arb system before he’s slated for free agency after 2026. The Angels had two arb cases this year but it was reported last week that they defeated left-hander José Suarez. With Ward’s case now complete, their arb class is fully settled.
Make reasonable proposals and win your arbitration case. When players are reasonable it’s easier to be pro player.
Apparently the teamwere trying to lowball the players in all three cases today. I consider Dubon the e weakest case, but even he was vital to keeping the Astros in contention when Altuve was out.
“Lowball the players”..Most of the times I feel players and their agents over reach, but in these particular cases I would agree. When players are reasonable they can win a lot of these cases.
I think it’s more that these teams were being unreasonable in their offers that caused them to lose. When you look at the increases and 2023 salaries for all 3 players, the teams clearly weren’t offering what they were worth
“when players are reasonable” so owners don’t have to be reasonable?
Since being unreasonable is almost a sure-fire loser, both sides are reasonable. But real-life numbers are seldom identical.
Decent player. Nothing special and his glove is bad, but he can hit a little above league average. I wonder if the arbitrators even care about outfield defense. I doubt it.
In the past years, winning Gold Gloves can gain you leverage in the arb room. I’m not sure what metrics they use now but defense is definitely one consideration.
Above average fielding the last two years but sure dude
Ward is a below average fielder? Did he really write that about Ward?
bWAR has him below average every year and an ugly -2.9 for his career. Surprised me a little but that’s what they say. Now that I think about it, he’s never been a wizard in the outfield.
Plus two outs above average. I’m not saying he’s a gold glover out there, but below average?
He’s a sold defensive LF.
Defense is always hard to evaluate and corner outfield defense is the hardest. But bWAR doesn’t like Ward at all, and for whatever reason their evaluations have usually seemed reasonable to me.
It is hard to evaluate, that’s completely different than calling someone a bad outfielder. That’s an evaluation. An inaccurate one at that.
Ward is a solid LF.
Love comments like this. If your standard is “wizard” you’re disappointed with 95% of all players.
I think “serviceable” is a better description. 2023 was the first year he was the regular LF, and the 2023 #s aren’t that bad. His career numbers dbWAR are worthless as he’s had to move all over the place due to injuries.
As an Angels fan, I’m frankly surprised this went to arbitration over $0.5MM. I think the Angels might have some concerns regarding Ward’s comeback from a horrific injury.
Hoss, he deserves. Half million dollars for getting hit in the face.
If he plays the rest of the year, i bet he would have made a lot more. Maybe he can bill Manoah. Or better yet the Blue Jays.
Lot of team Ls today.
Wouldn’t surprise me to see a coincidental problem with the hot water in the showers after the game
You used that comment before. It wasn’t funny then. It’s not funny now
Not if you’re going by merit. Hays, Ward and Dubon all made strong cases last season.
Seeing this guy’s name gave me flashbacks of Turner Ward
Same here.
Get beaned in the face requiring multiple surgeries and you deserve the extra $500K. Now lay off the high fastball.
Angels need to move on from him. He’s had 1/2 a good season and has been nothing special since. I could see Hicks getting a lot of his ABs this season. Package him and flip him for something else.
No way the Angels are that smart.
I think the Angels will sign Adam Duvall and trade Ward and Adell for pitching. Could be part of package to Miami. Personally, I’d trade Schanuel and Sandoval and Adell to Chicago for Cease. Go with Trout, Duvall and a platoon of Hicks and Moniak. That’s a large upgrade in the outfield.
You have this negative hard on for Adell. You should listen to his Trent Rush interview.
Trading Adell now would get pennies on the dollar. Trading Ward will get you nickels on the dollar.
To you, that’s better than losing everything. To me, I’ll roll the dice. Your way, there is really no gain. It’s lose, lose.
Two of Adell, Moniak, Ward and Hicks will be sitting. In a rebuilding year, it would make sense to listen to any interest in any of them.
That said, trading for Cease makes no sense.
Halo
Would a negative hard on be more or less the equivalent of a limp %^&^ ?
We are on a roll in that I am in agreeance with you!
Too soon to just give away Adell, which is what you’d have to do to include him in any trade.
I love players like Ward. The dirtbag mentality of “all I want to do is play baseball” . I hope he has a great season.
If someone makes a good offer, sure, but how much did the Phillies get for Moniak….. nothing.
Hicks will sit, but DH is open. And of course Trout will DH. There are enough ABs to go around, providing players produce. And I think 2024 is the perfect year to give players the chance to produce. Maybe the best since 2001.
Cease would command a lot more than the Adell package proposed….pass
I still don’t know why you got on my case for me writing Schanuel swing was not going to produce power.
But you’re passionate, I gotta give you that.
Halo11Fan
Go back and reread our “conversation”. I was not on your case for the lack of power reference. I was on your case for being negative about the selection. I felt negativity towards a just drafted player was unfair in that he still has time to either prove me, or you, wrong.
I would not have chosen a high floor, low ceiling firstbaseman with the 11th pick.
It is a very strange profile to pick 11th. I’m not happy with the pick. I’m looking for higher upside at 11.
Sure, one way or another, he won’t turn out to be Adel, That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
@ Rad you need to move on from your dealer after that stupid comment
???? What???
No “defeat?”
Good for Taylor.
Really hope he comes back and plays well this year.
I heard an interview with Ward today on AM830. Ward is ready to go. He’s not worried about stepping in the batters box.
He might be mediocre at best, but for the Angels he’s a bulwark,
he should be a solid 20-25 HR bat if he’s playing 130+ games
I’ll be happy if any Angels Opening Day player gives 130+ games.
Just think, Word was Trader Jerry’s best pick while he was with the Angels. And people wonder why the Angels have been bad for so long.
“Trader Jerry’s best” has been gone almost a decade. Since the Angels change GMs every 3 years you can’t blame the Angels long term malaise on “Trader Jerry”. Try looking at the owner, Arte Moreno, who chooses the wrong expensive free agents every time, if you want to blame someone
And Dipoto has proved he’s a solid draft and develop guy with the Mariners, inheriting a bottom-5 prospect organization, and turning it into a top five farm system 2020-2022 per Baseball America.
His drafts for the Angels were hobbled by lacking first and second round picks in multiple drafts (plus poor draft position, b/c the MLB club was actually decent at the time), due to Moreno’s penchant for big splash free agent acquisitions, when the CBA was particularly punitive, and took away first rounders for teams playing at the top of the pool.
He had 3 first round picks as GM of the Angels. Only year he didn’t, was 2013. Yes he has done, better with the Mariners. He learned from his mistakes. I’ll give him credit.
It only took Dipoto 7 years to be relevant in Seattle, good for him. Yes, he has grown and learned, but he’s still just “meh” for me with his 50/50 hit and miss deals.
Best pick? The Angels were laughed at when they took him in the 1st round.
Angles are a dumpster fire who’ve spent this entire off-season dumpster diving to continue to finish in 4th place in their divison winning 70ish games a year while having a generational talent whose health has seem to come to a halt. Time to blow it up
Better off doing that, than giving Pujols, $240 mil, Hamilton $100 mil, Rendon $245 mil, Harvey $13 mil. Syndegaard $23 mil, Anderson $39 mil, Tehran $9 mil. Etc…. The Angels have paid big bucks to get a lot of mediocre results & players! Maybe the Angels are wising up! Don’t overpay now when you can always add later as there are a few gems that overprice themselves and would settle for much less when spring training gets closer! Even if they sign Snell & JD Martinez, they will still miss the playoffs!
The X factor is going to be Washington. I think you’re going to see the Angels play a better brand of Baseball. I’m happy with the hire.
I liked him when he managed the Rangers.
He will help players like Rengifo with his defense Like he did with Eric Chavez. And better defense will let him relax and do even better at the plate. Be more consistant.. (Hopefully he can finally get Adell over the hump)
I love his enthusiasm.
I love his attitude with players who don’t want to get at it will be shown the door.
@king Truer words were never spoken.
Be gone
Cool. He shouldn’t be docked for being hit in the face.
Lefty masher who can stay in the bigs into his late 30’s as a 4C platoon bat.
For the Angels, just keep him healthy. Slow April last year and then really caught fire before getting beaned.
Yes!!!
Labor! Labor! Labor!