The New York Post’s Dylan Hernandez pegged Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Ryan Ward as a trade candidate.
Ward, who will turn 28 come the start of the season, has spent his entire professional career in the Dodgers organization, but hasn’t cracked into the MLB squad despite his impressive showings in the minor leagues. Hernandez expects that to remain the case after All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker’s arrival.
“The downside of coming up in an organization like the Dodgers is that because they have to win now, they don’t have the luxury of gambling on prospects,” Hernandez wrote. “The Dodgers will take a look at him to see if he could be a late bloomer like Max Muncy, but his real chance might come elsewhere. Other teams are interested, making him a candidate to be moved at the trade deadline.”
How Did Ryan Ward Perform in 2025?
Ward has dominated Triple-A over the past two seasons, producing noticeable power in the outfield and slowly reducing his strikeout rate.
He had his best professional season to date last year, hitting 36 home runs and tallying 122 RBIs in 143 games. He slashed .290/.380/.557 in 652 games, and cut his strikeout rate to 18.7% from 26.8% in just one season. Ward’s efforts in the Pacific Coast league earned him the league’s MVP award, but he couldn’t break into the MLB team.
The Dodgers played former All-Star outfielder Michael Conforto in left field last season, and he struggled massively at the plate. The 32-year-old batted below the Mendoza Line through 138 games last season, and posted a sub-.700 OPS for the first time in his career.
Conforto’s struggled led to calls for Ward, but he never got the call up.
The veteran left to free agency in the offseason, leaving a spot up for grabs in the outfield giving Ward a chance at taking the position, but the Tucker’s arrival has shut down any chance of Ward taking an Opening Day starting spot.
Ward can potentially land a spot on the Opening Day roster as a fourth-choice outfielder, but his playing time will be limited due to the players in front of him. L.A. could get a solid return if they trade him, but reliability off the bench could be invaluable to them as they chase their third consecutive World Series title.
Do you want the Dodgers to trade Ryan Ward?
12 Responses
I hope is traded and gets a real shot at the show.
Give him a shot as #4 outfielder. He deserves a look in Dodger Blue. He’s torn up AAA for two seasons. Teo and Andy need to get their stroke back, Tommy is on the shelf for a while. Nice to see some new kids (I know he’s 28) on the roster. We’re always “hearing” about our great farm team but rarely “seeing” them in The Show.
Let him and Call battle it out in spring training.
Why do the Dodgers keep spending millions on free agents and ignore the talent with their league teams? Trade him to a team where he can play. Eventually talented players will not choose to join the Dodger system and waste valuable playing years stranded in the minors.
Even if they don’t ultimately make it to the Dodgers 40-man roster, young players and prospects know that L.A. has the best farm system in baseball and being in their system is their best bet at making the Show!
I think he should be our (Dodger’s) left fielder in 2027, if not sooner.
I think he is the obvious choice to replace Teo in the future (who’s skill set is diminishing yearly). The Dodgers have to keep him. I think he will be a star for years to come.
Trade Teoscar and give Ward a shot with the Dodgers. I don’t want to see another Dodger regret if he is traded and becomes a premier player elsewhere. Although we are seeing fewer Dodger farm players getting a shot nowadays; the Dodger farm system has produced some of the best players in baseball.
I like Teoscar, however, it taking a lot of squeeze to get the juice!
The above comment was from John O, not Bob Kino
If one of the OF starting players were to go on IL with an injury that keeps them out for an extended period, then that’s the chance for Ward to come up and show what he can do now against MLB pitching.
However, should he be up here, he HAS to play everyday and not ride the pine for 90% of the time he’s up here.
I trust our great manager, Dave Roberts, to make the best decision for all involved
I have been a Ryan Ward fan for a long time. He should had been called up to replace Conforto. In Spring training if he is going back to AAA the Dodgers better trade him. It’s not fair for him to play AAA for four years. I am sure a MLB team could use him big time. He should be in MLB right now. Ryan Ward tends to have slow starts in Spring Training but he has a history of lighting a fire very early when the season starts. I wish him the best.