OC Register: Taylor Ward tries to squeeze onto the Angels roster by adding defensive versatility, including a return to catcher

[AngelsWin.com]

<p>TEMPE, Ariz. — Taylor Ward has gone from having no position to having five of them.</p><p>Ward was in the Angels starting lineup at catcher for Sunday’s game, the first time he started a big league exhibition behind the plate since before the Angels moved him off the position prior to the 2018 season.</p><p>It’s a sign that the club has shown increasing confidence in him behind the plate, as well as at first base and all three outfield positions.</p><p>Manager Joe Maddon said before Sunday’s game that Ward has made improvements in the outfield and he’s been impressed with the work he’s done behind the plate since the Angels reintroduced him to the position in summer camp last year.</p><p>“I’m liking what I’m seeing,” Maddon said. “The big thing with him, moving it down the road, if catching becomes a part of his resume, this guy can stay in the business for a while.”</p><p>Ward, 27, was a first-round draft pick as a catcher in 2015. A few years into his career, though, the Angels decided his defense wasn’t good enough for him to be an everyday catcher in the majors. His bat also hadn’t developed as hoped.</p><p>They moved him to third. Being relieved of the mental and physical toll of catching, along with re-working his swing, contributed to a breakthrough Triple-A season that got him to the big leagues in 2018.</p><p>But Ward struggled defensively at third, so the Angels moved him again, to left field in 2019. And since then he’s kept adding positions, and returned to his old one.</p><p>“I love catching, I really do enjoy being a part of the team and engaged in the game from back there,” Ward said. “So wherever this takes me, I'm pretty excited. I do like catching. I miss catching. I'm happy to be back there.”</p><p>The ability to be the Angels third catcher would certainly enhance Ward’s chances of being a part of the 26-man roster. Although Maddon said he didn’t envision Ward starting games at catcher, having him available as a backup gives the team more flexibility to pinch-hit or pinch-run for the other catchers late in a game.</p><p>Ward still has a tough hill to climb to make the roster. They are likely to keep either Juan Lagares or Jon Jay as the fourth outfielder — because they are true center fielders — and they need to keep one of the middle infielders as the sixth infielder, with both Jared Walsh and Albert Pujols as first basemen. Add in two catchers and Shohei Ohtani, and that’s 13 position players. That leaves 13 pitchers, including five non-Ohtani starters and eight relievers.</p><p>All of that means if the Angels want to keep Ward, it would likely mean keeping just seven relievers, which is one fewer than what has become the norm in recent years. The Angels could do that because they have a handful of potential multi-inning relievers, such as Felix Peña, Junior Guerra, Jesse Chavez, Aaron Slegers and Jake Faria. They could go with four of those pitchers, plus one-inning pitchers Raisel Iglesias, Alex Claudio and Ty Buttrey.</p><p>Ward would have to force the Angels to do that, not only by showing his defensive versatility but also by continuing to hit.</p><p>Last season he made some changes to his swing, essentially undoing the launch-angle type swing he’d developed in the minors. The flatter swing helped him lift his average to .277, but he did not hit any homers in 94 big league at-bats. He’d hit 27 homers at Triple-A in 2019.</p><p>Ward and Maddon believe a flatter swing can still produce homers in the big leagues, such as the opposite-field shot he hit last week.</p><p>“I think I do have power, not light tower power, of course, but enough power to hit what I need to, also including doubles, triples, singles,” he said. “I think with more reps, more at-bats, more opportunities, it will show and come out.”</p><h4 class="">INJURY UPDATES</h4><p>The Angels added four pitchers to their injured list on Sunday, including one potentially serious injury to a pitcher who wasn’t likely to make the big league team.</p><p>Brendan McCurry, a 29-year-old right-hander who has never pitched the majors, is seeking a second opinion for an undisclosed right elbow injury.</p><p>Right-hander Luke Bard (right hip), left-hander Dillon Peters (back spasms) and right-hander Slegers (back spasms) are all day to day with their injuries.</p><p>Right-hander Gerardo Reyes, who suffered an ulnar collateral ligament injury in the Angels’ first game of the spring, is seeking a second opinion from noted orthopedist Dr. Neal ElAttrache.</p><p>Claudio, who had a hip infection when camp opened, continues to fully participate in workouts, but he hasn’t yet been cleared to pitch in a game.</p><p>In other injury news, outfielder Brandon Marsh was cleared to throw on Sunday. Marsh has been limited to DH duty because of a minor arm issue.</p>

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[oldguy]

Its just another example of how the Pujols signing has always made our roster awkward.  We seem to always have to carry another full-time first baseman.  We keep talking about getting Trout to the playoffs during his prime years.  Keeping Albert on the roster just means we are not fully committed to that, and its been that way for a few years.

I'm curious to see Rodriguez pitch today because being "fully committed" might also mean finding a spot for him.

[Dtwncbad]

I don’t understand how this means they have “increasing confidence” in him as a catcher.

Ward would always have likely been the “emergency” catcher, given how he was drafted.

So they let him catch a tiny bit to get him a couple of innings to be ready in case they need to actually use him as an emergency catcher.

This only indicates to me that they still view him as a possible emergency catcher.

I think it’s a pretty big assumption to view this as the Angels suddenly having an increased confidence in him behind the plate.

[Angelsjunky]

You've got to feel for Taylor - he's really been dabbled with, while having no clear route to the majors. I do think he has some value as a CI/OF/C utility player - on the right team. That isn't the Angels this year, most likely, barring injury.

That said, there are some routes for him to get some playing time this year. Catchers are often injured and Stassi is coming off major surgery. If he can play an adequate catcher, he could be third in line behind the plate.

At 1B, Walsh is #1, then Pujols, then either Ward or Thaiss. I think Thaiss has greater upside with the bat, and he's also chomping at the bit.

I do see a place for one of Thaiss or Ward on the major league roster next once Pujols is gone, but not both. One will eventually be playing somewhere else.

[Angel Oracle]

It’s weird that when the article talked about pitching, no mention was made of Mayers when talking about the pen.

It’s only ONE bad outing (5 batters).

Does Ward have an option left?  If so, just play him every day in AAA at any of those 5 positions.

Then when Pujols has retired, Ward can become a MLB utility player going forward.

Edited March 8, 2021 by Angel Oracle

[Angelsjunky]

He's got two options left. My guess is that he starts in AAA, splitting time between C and OF.

[Second Base]

2 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

He's got two options left. My guess is that he starts in AAA, splitting time between C and OF.

I think this is his last option year. 

[Angelsjunky]

29 minutes ago, Second Base said:

I think this is his last option year. 

According to this, he has 2. He joined the 40-man in August of 2018, so I'm not sure why he still has 2. Maybe rules are altered for 2020?

[BTH]

I mentioned it about a few weeks ago in another thread, but Albert Pujols' roster spot should go to Taylor Ward if it's a true meritocracy like Maddon has suggested.

My guess is Ward starts in the minors, gets some MLB playing time throughout the season, and takes over for Pujols' roster spot in 2022.

[ThisismineScios]

I think they will definitely keep him on the MLB squad. He can now play C, RF, LF, 3B, or 1B. That kind of versatility with an average bat is really big. The only other alternative that makes sense to me is having him catch at AAA if you are serious about having him catch a lot. 

[failos]

I hope he gets a roster spot. I think he deserves over some of the clowns in the BP

[Dtwncbad]

I think it is pretty depressing to think that when Pujols is finally gone, the Angels will get to use that roster spot for. . . .Taylor Ward!

Ouch.

[Blarg]

Why do you have a throbbing hate boner for this guy?

[WicketMaiden]

3 hours ago, Blarg said:

Why do you have a throbbing hate boner for this guy?

Wonderful turn of phrase @Blarg, vivid and unequivocal. I will definitely plagiarise that in future. 

[T.G.]

5 hours ago, Blarg said:

Why do you have a throbbing hate boner for this guy?

Don't scold Doc.

[eligrba]

I could be going crazy but I'm beginning to see value in Taylor Ward. 

[AngelsLakersFan]

1 hour ago, eligrba said:

I could be going crazy but I'm beginning to see value in Taylor Ward. 

If you squint it's there. He just needs to be competent enough with the bat to support his poor defense at all the different positions they try him at.

[ThisismineScios]

4 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

If you squint it's there. He just needs to be competent enough with the bat to support his poor defense at all the different positions they try him at.

A competent bat with positional versatility is what La Stella once was. And he couldn’t catch. 

[Dtwncbad]

OC Register Update: Taylor Ward tries to squeeze onto the Angels roster by mopping clubhouse bathroom floor

[Dtwncbad]

16 hours ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

If you squint it's there. He just needs to be competent enough with the bat to support his poor defense at all the different positions they try him at.

So if he could hit, he could have some value.  Yes.  Except he can’t hit.

Textbook “If my aunt had balls. . .”

[AngelsLakersFan]

15 hours ago, ThisismineScios said:

A competent bat with positional versatility is what La Stella once was. And he couldn’t catch. 

La Stella was a very good hitter.

[AngelsLakersFan]

3 hours ago, Dtwncbad said:

So if he could hit, he could have some value.  Yes.  Except he can’t hit.

Textbook “If my aunt had balls. . .”

I think the jury is still out on his hitting. He held his own last year, if he can take another step forward I think he's viable.

[Tank]

On 3/8/2021 at 12:06 PM, Angelsjunky said:

You've got to feel for Taylor - he's really been dabbled with, while having no clear route to the majors. I do think he has some value as a CI/OF/C utility player - on the right team. That isn't the Angels this year, most likely, barring injury.

[Dtwncbad]

46 minutes ago, AngelsLakersFan said:

I think the jury is still out on his hitting. He held his own last year, if he can take another step forward I think he's viable.

If any AAA player takes a step forward they are viable.

I am not picking at you, I am more just identifying that most of the optimism on Ward is pretty much always based on just hope.

Nothing wrong with that, but optimism based on hope is different from optimism based on something more concrete.

I think it’s pretty hard to argue that Ward has shown he can hit major league pitching. 

His career OPS is .633.  That’s just garbage.

I still hope he shocks me and does something.  But for me it’s hard to survive on faith alone here.

[AngelsLakersFan]

2 minutes ago, Dtwncbad said:

If any AAA player takes a step forward they are viable.

I am not picking at you, I am more just identifying that most of the optimism on Ward is pretty much always based on just hope.

Nothing wrong with that, but optimism based on hope is different from optimism based on something more concrete.

I think it’s pretty hard to argue that Ward has shown he can hit major league pitching. 

His career OPS is .633.  That’s just garbage.

I still hope he shocks me and does something.  But for me it’s hard to survive on faith alone here.

I mean, I'm not a fan of Ward at all but he is still a first round pick who was developed as a catcher and then took off with the bat when he moved off the position. He was a league average hitter last year, worth half a win over 100 PAs. If he maintains his 2020 levels he is a major leaguer.