Ryan Ward Mock Trade: Dodgers Logjam, Fantasy Impact, and What It Takes for the Pirates to Land Him

Patrick Copen (Pirates)

Patrick Copen is currently dominating Double-A with a 1.23 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and elite strikeout rates. He is a high-priority fantasy stash because of his swing-and-miss profile and strong run prevention. If promoted, he projects as a strikeout-heavy starter with SP2/streaming upside.

Levi Sterling (Dodgers)

Levi Sterling is currently struggling in Single-A with a 7.84 ERA and 1.94 WHIP, though he still shows strong strikeout ability. In fantasy, he is a long-term stash only, offering upside but hurting ratios and lacking present value.

Jeter Martinez (Dodgers)

Jeter Martinez is currently inconsistent in Single-A with a 5.40 ERA and 2.28 WHIP, though he shows decent strikeout potential. He is a deep dynasty lottery arm with no current fantasy relevance, relying entirely on future development.

Why The Pirates Make The Trade

Feb 22, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Ryan Ward against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Pirates make this deal because it gives them both immediate MLB help and future pitching upside.

Ryan Ward provides a ready-to-use power bat for their everyday lineup, adding needed home run and RBI production right away. His AAA track record and 2026 performance make him an immediate upgrade in the middle of the order.

At the same time, Patrick Copen gives them a high-upside pitching prospect for the future, with strikeout ability and Double-A success that could translate into a cost-controlled starter or late-inning arm.

Overall, Pittsburgh makes the move to boost their lineup now with Ward while securing Copen as a potential long-term rotation piece.

Why The Dodgers Make The Trade

The Dodgers make this trade because they're prioritizing pitching upside and long-term value over an older, MLB-ready bat.

They move Ryan Ward because, while he is producing and close to MLB-ready, his profile is more of a limited defensive, power-only corner bat-a type they can often replace internally. In return, they target higher-upside pitching.

They receive Levi Sterling, a young arm with significantly higher ceiling, even if the current results are inconsistent, and Jeter Martinez, another developmental pitcher with strikeout traits they can refine in their system.

Overall, the Dodgers make the deal because they trust their development system to unlock Sterling and Martinez into impact pitchers, while they feel Ward's production is more replaceable than true long-term elite upside on the pitching side

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/fantasy as Ryan Ward Mock Trade: Dodgers Logjam, Fantasy Impact, and What It Takes for the Pirates to Land Him.