Angels are looking to trade an outfielder and the Guardians should be interested

The MLB Winter Meetings are in full swing, and the rumors of potential trades are gaining traction. One such rumor should be of interest to the Cleveland Guardians, as the Los Angeles Angels are apparently motivated to trade an outfielder. Of the outfielders on their roster, Taylor Ward has been receiving a lot of interest per Mark Feinsand. If Ward is the player the Angels are looking to move, the Guardians need to be in the running for his services.

The soon-to-be 31-year-old is coming off a season that saw him slash .246/.323/.426 with 26 doubles, 25 home runs, and 75 RBI in 156 games. Ward posted an OPS + of 111 last season, which would have been the second-best in Cleveland's outfield, with Steven Kwan's 126 leading the way. This would have been the fifth-best overall of Guardians regulars behind Jose Ramirez (143), David Fry (128), Kwan, and Josh Naylor (118). This is the exact type of offensive production the Guardians should be seeking to add to their roster this offseason.

From a contractual standpoint, Ward has two more arbitration-eligible years before he can enter free agency, giving Cleveland something more than a one-year rental if they were to trade for him. Having more than one season of control is usually a must when the Guardians trade for a player (see Lane Thomas), and those are the ones it would make sense for them to target in trade talks. According to Spotrac, Ward is projected to make $8.75 million through arbitration, so he would not exactly break the bank of the financially conservative Guardians.

Of course, the Guardians would have a surplus of outfielders if they were to acquire Ward, and it would require one of them to be traded. The good news is that the above-mentioned Thomas is someone the Guardians are already willing to listen to offers on, and swapping him for Ward would be an ideal way to upgrade their outfield mix. Thomas is projected to make $7.85 million via arbitration, so the additional $ 1 million in salary Cleveland would take on for a full-time outfielder, which is a clear upgrade over Thomas, would be a no-brainer.