Strange Orioles-Angels deal may have just blocked a Cubs trade plan

Tuesday was an eventful day across Major League Baseball, including Shota Imanaga returning to the Chicago Cubs through way of accepting the team's qualifying offer. The final move of the night saw the Los Angeles Angels trade outfielder Taylor Ward to the Baltimore Orioles for oft-injured starting pitcher Grayson Rodriguez.

While the Cubs were briefly linked to Ward ahead of the MLB trade deadline, a report last week suggested they were among the teams that could be interested in Angels' outfielder Jo Adell. Speculation was that the Cubs could include either Ben Brown or Jordan Wicks in a potential deal with the Angels. After the trade of Ward, it would seem more likely for the Angels to now hang onto Adell, especially since they added a starting pitcher with a higher upside than Brown or Wicks.

The trade likely caught the Cubs' attention for multiple reasons. The first being that for a team in need of starting pitcher, the Cubs likely would have had some interest in Rodriguez.

Grayson Rodriguez would have been a fun reclamation project for the Chicago Cubs and their need for pitching.

The 26-year-old starting pitcher hasn't pitched since July of 2024. After opening the 2025 season on the IL, Rodriguez opted for surgery in August to clean out his elbow. When last healthy, Rodriguez was on the ascent toward being a top-of-the-rotation starting pitcher, posting an ERA of 3.86 while striking out over 26% of the hitters he faced through 20 starts in 2024.

While there is inherent risk in trading for Rodriguez, considering availability remains his biggest concern, he is under control through the 2029 season. Considering Ward is a free agent after 2026, it seems like a worthwhile gamble for the Angels.

In a world where Imanaga did not accept the Cubs' qualifying offer, it wouldn't have been shocking to learn that Jed Hoyer and Co. were interested in Rodriguez. Given his injury-riddled 2025 campaign, Rodriguez wouldn't have been viewed as the clear answer for the Cubs' need for pitching, but would have given them an enticing reclamation project for their pitching infrastructure.

However, with Imanaga facing questions of his own, the next addition the Cubs make to their starting rotation has to be for someone with the expectation of sitting at the top of their rotation.