The Seattle Mariners' quest to find a right-handed-hitting outfielder brought them to Taylor Ward, who was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
In exchange, the Mariners will send right-handed reliever Alex Hoppe and minor league pitchers Harrison Kreiling and Brock Moore to Baltimore, a source told ESPN.
Ward, a free agent at season's end, fills the Mariners' need for production against left-handed pitching. The Mariners began the week with a .650 OPS against lefties, second lowest in the major leagues.
Ward, 32, has hit only seven home runs this season, a far cry from the 61 he totaled while with the Los Angeles Angels from 2024 to 2025. But he has drawn 87 walks, the most in the American League, and is getting on base at a .383 clip. Against lefties, his OPS is .839.
The Mariners were just one win away from their first-ever World Series berth last year but have struggled through a 55-58 record that has them three games out of first place in the AL West and two games out of the final wild-card spot entering Monday's games.
In nine MLB seasons, Ward is hitting .247 with 120 home runs and 375 RBIs.