The first major trade of the MLB offseason occurred on Tuesday night, as the Los Angeles Angels sent outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez. As both teams look to put a disappointing 2025 behind them, Ward and Rodriguez are prepared to travel to their new homes. After the deal, the Athletic's Sam Blum shared Ward's words to his former Angels teammates via their 2025 group text thread.

“Just telling them how much I cared about them. I’ll be rooting for them,” Ward said of his text in a phone interview with Blum. “I wish nothing but the best for them all. And if anybody wants to chat, they can text me on the side.”

Ward is coming off a career year with the Angels. Despite hitting .228, Ward's 36 home runs and 103 RBIs helped pace the Halo

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