This Pirates trade package could finally bring Angels slugger to Pittsburgh

After a dismal 2025 campaign, the Pittsburgh Pirates need offense wherever they can get it. Nearly no position is off limits, except for maybe first base, where Spencer Horwitz and his second-half surge make him look like a keeper.

The Pirates will be shopping in something adjacent to the bargain bin pretty much the entire offseason, but one long-rumored trade target could finally become a reality for Pittsburgh in the form of Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward.

For the better part of two years, there have been rumblings that the Pirates would like to acquire the slugger, and now it seems the Angels are finally willing to part with him, for the right price.

Now in his final year of arbitration, Ward is projected to make $13.7 million by MLB Trade Rumors. That's not quite the bargain price he's played for the last couple of seasons, but there are still a lot of reasons why he should appeal to Pittsburgh.

Ward crushed 36 homers in 2025, giving the Pirates a legitimate power threat that the roster currently lacks. That came at the cost of a .228 average, but for his career, Ward has been a better contact threat (though worse power producer), with a career average of .247 and a career-high of .281 in 2022. Basically, Ward can do a little of everything.

That would bring a boost to Pittsburgh's lineup, but would also give the Pirates a valuable trade chip on a relatively affordable contract (for contenders) to flip at the 2026 trade deadline. So what will it take to bring the 31-year-old to Pittsburgh?

A potential trade package to land Angels outfielder Taylor Ward with the Pirates

The Pirates actually line up pretty well with the Angels in a trade. Los Angeles is stagnant and in need of an infusion of youth, but has outfield prospects Matthew Lugo and Nelson Rada chomping at the bit for big league playing time.

The Angels overall have a decent collection of young hitters, but their pitching staff is where they are lacking. Meanwhile, the Pirates have a bunch of promising young arms, but, as we know all too well, have little in the way of big league-ready offensive firepower.

The Angels would want major league-ready, cost-controlled arms. Braxton Ashcraft is probably what the Angels will ask for, but they will likely have to settle for Mike Burrows plus another piece. A logical kicker in that case would be 23-year-old Wilber Dotel, Pittsburgh's 28th overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

Burrows posted a 3.94 ERA and a 9.09 K/9 against a 2.91 BB/9, and could slide into the Angels' rotation. Meanwhile, Dotel recorded a 4.15 ERA over 125.2 innings at Double-A Altoona. He might not have the highest upside, but he profiles as a back-of-the-rotation arm, and his proximity to the major leagues is appealing for a team like the Angels, who want to build around their core of shortstop Zach Neto and first baseman Nolan Schanuel.

For the Pirates, this would be a win because they hang onto all their top arms while acquiring a player who bolsters the lineup and can be flipped to replace what they lost at the deadline. Targeting veterans like Ward and dealing from a surplus is exactly what the club should be doing, and this trade would accomplish exactly that.