boost in the outfield. To get that help, the franchise could look to trade for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward, as Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter suggested in a story published June 27.
Reuter’s proposal would send Ward to Atlanta in exchange for the Braves’ No. 4 prospect JR Ritchie and right-handed pitcher Allan Winans.
With Ronald Acuna Jr. out for the remainder of the season and Michael Harris II expected to miss “a long time” with a hamstring strain, the Braves’ outfield urgency is higher than it’s been at any point this season. Ward would provide some stability, bringing with him a 116 OPS+ and 14 home runs through 76 games this year.
In his age 30 season, Ward has played just one full year in the majors, appearing in 135 games for the Angels in 2022 and hitting .281 with 23 home runs in the process. Last year, Ward seemed poised to build on that, but a freak hit-by-pitch derailed his season. He played in just 97 games as he recovered from the incident that left him with facial fractures from an Alek Manoah fastball.