Calling the Pen: Wondering why the Orioles gave up on Grayson Rodriguez

The question isn’t why did the Orioles trade for Taylor Ward but why did they give up on Grayson Rodriguez?

The Orioles needed a right-handed hitter power bat in the outfield, an everyday player they could count on. They thought they got the power bat last year when they signed Tyler O’Neill to a three-year contract. But after three stints on the injured list in his 54-game season, the Orioles decided not to gamble on O’Neill’s health for 2026.

Ward hit 36 home runs, drove in 103 runs and played in 157 games for the Los Angeles Angels last season. The 31-year-old hit .228 with a .792 OPS and struck out 175 times, but his OPS against left-handed pitching was .918 — ninth-best among outfielders — compared to the .661 mark the Orioles amassed as a team in 2025.

The 26-year-old Rodriguez last pitched for the Orioles on July 31st, 2024 and missed 2025 with a variety of injuries. His season ended when he had surgery to remove bone chips from his right elbow.

Rodriguez was the Orioles’ first-round draft pick in 2018 and was thought to be a top-tier starter. He went 20-8 with a 4.11 ERA in 43 starts in 2023 and 2024. At times, his stuff was electric.

But frustration seemed to grow for Rodriguez last year. He stopped talking with the media, which isn’t required but was a break from previous years when he was open and honest with those who cover the Orioles.

There was hope that a healthy Rodriguez would bolster a starting staff that appears as if it will include Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells. President of baseball operations Mike Elias said all the right things about Rodriguez in his press conference after the season ended.

“There’s nothing going on right now that would hold him back,” Elias said. “He’s not injured right now and he’s preparing for spring training, but the poor guy’s missed a year and two months basically, and we’ve got to be mindful of that, and I think he’s a really nice wild-card talent for us, and I’m really optimistic and bullish about it. But the fact that he’s missed so much time recently, we just have to be prudent about that.

“We don’t want to plan around him too heavily, but I really like where he’s at.”

Now, Rodriguez is an Angel, and Elias isn’t likely to discuss why they appeared to give up on him, other than to say the Orioles needed a strong right-handed hitter who could play every day in the outfield. Ward has one year remaining before free agency and an estimated $13.7 million salary in 2026. A one-year rental makes sense for a team determined to get back to the postseason after an 87-loss, last-place season, but Rodriguez offered 4 years of team control and appeared to be part of a promising future.

He won’t get a chance to fulfill his potential with the Orioles, and there has to be more to this trade than what’s on the surface.