Which Angels Outfielder Brings the Most Back in a Trade?

The MLB Winter Meetings have come to a close, but the offseason is still buzzing with free agency and trade rumors. The Los Angeles Angels have already been extremely active this winter, particularly on the free agent market, and according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, they aren’t done yet.

“The Angels appear to be close to trading an outfielder, per source,” Feinsand reported on December 10. “Taylor Ward has been generating a lot of interest, so it would not be a surprise if it’s him.”

However, Robert Murray of FanSided offered a conflicting report, suggesting the Angels “have never been close to trading one of their outfielders.”

Ultimately, whether the Angels are looking to trade an outfielder or not, it’s worth thinking about what each of their outfielders might bring back in a trade. In addition to Ward, the team has outfielders Mike Trout, Jo Adell, and Mickey Moniak. All four have been the subject of casual trade speculation this winter.

With that in mind, which Angels outfielder would garner the greatest return on the trade market, and should Los Angeles be trading a coveted outfielder right now at all?

Which Angels Outfielder Would Bring in the Largest Trade Return?

Jo Adell

To get arguably the easiest one out of the way first, Adell is definitely not pulling a big trade return by himself coming off two consecutive seasons with a batting average of .207.

This past year, the 25-year-old posted an underwhelming .682 OPS, and his 27.9% strikeout rate and 29.8% whiff rate ranked him in just the 15th and 19th percentiles of batters, respectively. In fact, Adell’s career-high OBP is just .295, which he managed back in 2021.

Adell doesn’t really make up for his miserable plate appearances on defense, either, though he did improve from previous seasons in 2024. He posted a career-best 6 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) — an increase from 3 the year prior — and 1 Out Above Average (OAA). Yet, his overall Fielding Run Value (FRV) was still a disappointing -2 thanks to a -3 Arm Value (per Baseball Savant).

On October 7, Angels manager Ron Washington told MLB.com that Adell “made tremendous improvements” on defense this year, admitting, “He has to make some more [improvements] on [the] offensive side… he’s got to learn how to quit giving away so many at-bats.”

Considering his output, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if the Angels wanted to trade Adell, and since he’s still young, there might be teams that are open to developing him for the future.

In the meantime, though, the best the Angels can likely hope for is including him as part of a larger trade package. That’s not out of the question this winter, but at least for now, Adell isn’t the biggest trade chip the Angels have in the outfield.

Mickey Moniak

Not too far behind Adell when it comes to questionable offensive output this past season, Moniak posted a .219/.266/.380 line with 14 home runs and 49 RBI in 418 plate appearances. Still, the 26-year-old has a lot of potential — if he can stay healthy.

Since being acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies in August 2022, Moniak’s time in Los Angeles has been marred with injuries, especially in 2024. He’s suffered multiple breaks and other injuries to both hands — always leading to at least a few games on the IL — due to numerous incidents of being hit while batting against left-handed pitchers.

While MLB definitely needs to investigate the increase in batter injuries due to faster pitches with questionable control, in the meantime, Moniak’s ability to stay in the Angels’ lineup continues to be hindered.

Still, Moniak has shown enormous potential. He stayed relatively uninjured in 2023 and was one of the most effective players on the Angels, slashing .280/.307/.495 in 323 plate appearances. He’s also displayed a lot of talent on defense, posting 2 OAA this past season to rank in the 75th percentile of all qualified fielders.

Going into 2025, Moniak could see more time as the Angels’ center fielder while Trout plays more designated hitter and left field to avoid injuries.

Moniak is a strong trade target for a team looking to contend in the near future but still needing another season to develop its players. He has a lot of potential that hasn’t yet been fully realized, and with the right push from his coaches, he could still turn into a solid player.

Should the Angels choose to trade Moniak, he’d almost certainly have some value, but especially after his disappointing offensive showing in 2024, he isn’t the team’s biggest trade chip in the outfield.

Mike Trout

Don’t let the 11-time All-Star’s last few injury-riddled seasons distract you from the reality of Trout — the 33-year-old is still one of the best players in baseball.

In just 126 plate appearances this past year, Trout posted a career-worst .206 batting average but still managed an OPS of .866 and 10 home runs. In 2023, he slashed .263/.367/.490 with 18 home runs in 362 plate appearances and became only the fourth player in MLB history — after Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays — to collect at least 300 career doubles, 300 career home runs, and 200 stolen bases by his age-31 season.

Over the last few seasons, Trout has taken blow after blow with a seemingly endless list of injuries. From a torn calf muscle in 2021 and being diagnosed with a rare back disorder called costovertebral dysfunction in 2022, to a fractured left hamate bone in 2023 and a torn meniscus in 2024, Trout has been trapped in the revolving door of the IL for years now.

It’s a testament to just how incredible the outfielder is that even with these injuries bringing him down, his career slashline is still a stellar .299/.410/.581.

Having signed a giant 12-year, $426.5 million deal with the Angels before 2019, Trout is still under contract until after the 2030 season.

The deal also includes a full no-trade clause, which Trout would have to waive in order for Los Angeles to move him to another team. Regardless, the three-time AL MVP’s ongoing injury issues mean the Angels would have trouble trading him for anywhere near his full value right now.

Trout is still a superstar and undeniably the most talented outfielder on the Angels. Even though his true value should arguably dwarf any return that could be had for the team’s other three outfielders combined, his durability concerns mean he isn’t Los Angeles’ biggest trade chip this winter, if he’d even allow a trade to happen at all.

Taylor Ward

Feinsand mentioned that it “would not be a surprise” if Ward was the Angels outfielder involved in the supposedly impending trade, and he’s right. As of right now, Ward would almost certainly be the team’s best trade chip among their outfielders, even if he has shown some potentially concerning signs of regression over the last two seasons.

This year was Ward’s seventh with the Angels, and along with a .246/.323/.426 line, he posted 75 RBI and a career-best 25 home runs in 663 trips to the plate.

In 2023, he slashed .253/.335/.421 with 14 home runs and 47 RBI in just 409 plate appearances, with his season ending early after he sustained multiple facial fractures from a pitch to the head. Ward’s career-best numbers came in 2022 — his only season with an OPS above .800 — when he put up an impressive .281/.360/.473 line with 23 homers and 65 RBI in 564 plate appearances.

While Ward recorded two more home runs in 2024 than 2022, he also had 90 more at-bats, and all his other batting stats have significantly declined over the last two seasons. He’s certainly still passable at the plate and likely can rediscover that fire with some work on his mechanics, but the signs of regression are worth looking at, especially as the Angels consider trading him.

On defense, Ward remains a strong presence in the outfield, recording 3 Outs Above Average (OAA) in 2024 to rank in the 84th percentile of all qualified fielders. He also produced a solidly above-average Fielding Run Value (FRV) of 4.

As a left-handed batter with the potential to get back to some very productive numbers, it’s not surprising Ward is garnering interest on the trade market.

Should the Angels Trade Taylor Ward?

The idea of the Angels aiming to contend just one year after losing two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani is more than a little frustrating, and it’s also unlikely to be a realistic scenario.

Los Angeles seems stuck in a perpetual state of rebuilding, and having finished this season last in the AL West with a 63-99 record, a comeback of that magnitude would almost certainly take more than could be accomplished this winter.

Still, the Angels have made some big moves this offseason, and both owner Arte Moreno and general manager Perry Minasian have said that immediate contention is the plan.

Since the start of November, the team has acquired Yusei Kikuchi, Kevin Newman, Travis d’Arnaud, and Kyle Hendricks out of free agency on short-term contracts, with Kikuchi’s three-year deal being the longest among them.

The Angels also nabbed Jorge Soler in a trade with the Atlanta Braves on October 31. Those moves certainly point towards big plans for 2025, but if the Angels are seriously looking to contend immediately, trading away Taylor Ward, Mike Trout, or even Mickey Moniak would be a bizarre move.

Focusing on Ward, since he’s the most likely trade candidate, the Angels would almost certainly be trading him for a return of multiple developing players, which seems counterintuitive. Why sign star free agents on short-term deals and then trade away a veteran outfielder for prospects?

Having said that, it wouldn’t be the first time the Angels have made questionable roster moves — just two seasons ago, they chose not to trade Ohtani at the deadline to instead let him become a free agent three months later and receive nothing but a compensation draft pick in return. With that in mind, if the Angels are not seriously thinking about contending this season, trading Ward would be a smarter move.

Ward’s offensive stats have declined over the last two seasons, and if that trend continues, his value could be substantially lower by next winter. He also has two years of club control left, which makes him a budget-friendly option for interested teams.

Flipping Ward now while his value is still as high as it is would be a smart move if the Angels are looking for developing players that can be used in the future.

The Angels have become known as a team that constantly insists they’re ready to contend but then fails to follow through. The front office is perpetually half-in, half-out on any meaningful plan for the future, and their inability to fully commit to a rebuild has meant the team has struggled for far longer than they arguably should have.

For that reason, it’s hard to say whether 2025 really will be different, as the moves made in free agency this winter would suggest, or whether next year will just be another season of hype, strange player transactions, and confusing fans about the franchise’s direction.

Regardless, Ward’s value on the trade market is strong right now. It’s up to the Angels if they want to cash that in or utilize his talent in their supposed comeback.