The Los Angeles Dodgers never really gave Ryan Ward a chance.
Now, Ward is heading a long way away to continue his baseball career in Japan.
That was the news that emerged on Tuesday afternoon from Dodgers beat reporter Fabian Ardaya, who shared on X that Ward has been sold into Nippon Professional Baseball.
His contract was purchased by the Chunichi Dragons.
Dodgers sold the recently-DFA’d Ryan Ward to the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons.
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) September 22, 2026
This is a move that was likely approved by Ward. He wouldn’t technically have to do that, but Chunichi surely wouldn’t send the Dodgers money for a player who they had no idea if he would ever show up in Japan.
It’s a disappointing end to Ward’s time in the Dodgers’ organization. It often felt like he may have deserved a bit more of a chance.
Why Dodgers Sold Ryan Ward to Japan
The Dodgers must’ve started looking for a suitor for Ward when it turned out consistently over the last couple of seasons that they couldn’t give him playing time.
Ward, in turn, may have been open to the idea of going somewhere that he could actually shine.
Prominent minor league sluggers have gone to Japan and had major success. Sometimes, it gives them a ticket back to MLB.
Ward definitely has an opportunity to be a star in the NPB.
Ryan Ward Stats
Ward had only made his MLB debut this season at age 28. He batted .218 in 55 at bats with three home runs and 12 RBI.
He’s a former eighth-round pick in 2019 out of Bryant University in Rhode Island.
The reason Ward’s name is so notable is because of what he has done in the minor leagues.
In 2025, Ward blasted 36 home runs to go with 31 doubles and six triples for Triple-A Oklahoma City, putting up a .937 OPS overall.
The year prior, he had 33 homers at OKC.
Ward’s minor league career has included 148 doubles, 28 triples and 168 homers — along with 67 stolen bases — and an .835 OPS in 784 games.
Despite that, Ward has only seen 20 games at the MLB level so far.
Both sides here must have seen the writing on the wall that it would be tough for Ward to break through and play more in the majors next year.
With that in mind, Ward could’ve asked the Dodgers to trade him somewhere else in MLB, but it’s not clear they would’ve wanted to do that anyway.
This is the compromise they came up with. Ward heads to Japan, where he can break out in a big way and potentially chart a course back to MLB.
Dodgers Sell 28-Year Old Slugger to Japan