Orioles best trade chip is rapidly losing value as the deadline approaches

Taylor Ward's first month as a member of the Baltimore Orioles went better than anyone could have expected. Through April 30th, Ward slashed .304/.438/.441 and was among the league leaders in walks and doubles. The bold trade the Orioles made that sent Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for one year of Ward looked like an absolute win. As the season went on and the Orioles started to slide down in the standings, Ward's name began to crop up in the early trade deadline previews as a name that lots of contending teams would be interested in trading for at the deadline. Unfortunately for both Ward and the Orioles, over the last few months, Ward's production has declined. Ward's slump is now hurting two things: the Orioles' daily effort to win and his trade value at the upcoming deadline.

The Orioles brought in Ward for his power bat, but after hitting 36 home runs last season, Ward is on pace to hit fewer than 10 home runs this year. This drop in power production was ok when Ward had exchanged his power for an elite on-base percentage. A .438 OBP plays even if you're incapable of hitting the ball over the fence.

Taylor Ward has been a below average player for about two months now

However, over the past two months, Ward's OBP has gradually declined from the elite .438 mark at the end of April down to .378 today. Since May 1st, Ward's slash line is .262/.343/.365. Good for a .708 OPS. These aren't disastrous numbers; they are actually slightly above average, but given how poor Ward's defense in left is and the fact that he's not a threat on the bases, for him to be an additive player or a valuable trade chip, he needs to be well above average offensively. He just hasn't been.

ESPN puts out a regular trade chip rankings piece leading up to the deadline. In the first edition, Ward was the 12th-ranked potential trade chip and one of the very best bats available. Just a few weeks later, in the second edition of the rankings, Ward has slipped down to 24th.

These rankings aren't everything; in the end, a player's value comes down to what his GM can negotiate, but it's a clear objective indicator that Ward's trade value is slipping. He's gone from one of the best rental bats that a contender could pursue to someone that people expect the Orioles to move becuase they don't plan on re-signing him or giving him the qualifying offer. The difference in return between a top rental bat and a guy who a team needs to move is a lot.

Over the next few weeks, the Orioles need Taylor Ward to snap out of this slump and be an offensive force. If he does that and it helps the Orioles get back in the playoff picture, that would be great; and if he does that and the Orioles stay bad, then at least he'll have boosted his trade value.

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