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Dodgers Predicted to Move off Outfielder
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- Dodgers Predicted to Move off Outfielder
(© Katie Stratman/Imagn Images)
The 2026 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline is just one week away. On Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. ET, teams will no longer be able to enter into trades with one another for the rest of the season.
That means the clock is ticking for contenders to decide what they will do in order to bolster their team, and clubs that have more of a grim outlook for the rest of the season must choose whether or not some contracts need to be dealt to acquire more controllable talent.
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Atop the list of contenders are the Los Angeles Dodgers , who, at the time of writing, are 67-39 and maintain a half-game advantage over the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. The Dodgers already have a lot of star power , but their goal might require additional help.
Los Angeles has the once-in-a-lifetime chance to three-peat as World Series champions, which would make it the first organization since the 1998-00 New York Yankees to do so. If the Dodgers accomplish it, they would join the Yankees and the Athletics as the only organizations in MLB to accomplish such a feat.
So, if the Dodgers are going to use the Deadline to get even better, they are going to have to make a sacrifice, and that might mean losing outfielder Ryan Ward to another team.
Why might Ward be gone?
Recently, The Athletic 's MLB Staff made predictions for all 30 MLB clubs concerning which players from each organization might find themself in a new uniform following the Deadline. For the Dodgers, Ward was named.
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The Athletic reasons that because the Dodgers listened to offers on Ward earlier in the season, he will likely be available now. On top of having a lot of stars, the Dodgers also produce a very strong farm system with high-level prospects.
Therefore, Los Angeles can afford to move someone like Ward to get another player who is immediately ready to contribute to the 40-man roster. The good news for teams that might be interested in Ward's services is that he can contribute at the major-league level, too.
Ward, 28, made his MLB debut on April 19 and has appeared in 20 games for the Dodgers. He was one of the young players to step into a big role for Los Angeles, and while his numbers weren't jumping off the stat sheet, he proved he can hang around.
In his 20 appearances, Ward logged a .218 batting average, a .283 on-base percentage, a .455 slugging percentage and a .738 OPS. Again, not the best numbers, but his OPS is above league average.
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The Athletic's MLB Staff praises Ward for his consistency in Triple-A, where he has slashed .254/.362/.440 with an .802 OPS in 65 games. Therefore, he can be a solid bargaining chip for the Dodgers.
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