Former GM Believes Nationals' Keibert Ruiz Is Realistic Trade Option for Yankees
In this story:
One of the biggest storylines of the year for the Washington Nationals has been the turnaround of maligned catcher Keibert Ruiz.
Coming into 2026, there was a thought that he might no longer be part of the organization. And if he was, there was a good chance he could be buried down in Triple-A following the offseason acquisition of star catching prospect Harry Ford. However, Ruiz has performed like one of the best catchers in baseball to start the campaign, as he is top 10 in home runs (six) and RBIs (29), while he has a wRC+ that is 19 points above the league average of 100.
Could that change how the Nationals view Ruiz for the long haul or will they look to ship out the 27-year-old now that his value has started to climb again following a couple of disastrous seasons?
If Paul Toboni and his front office decide to go with the latter option, then Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) believes Ruiz could be a realistic target of the New York Yankees.
Keibert Ruiz Seen as Possible New York Yankees Trade Target
"... I think more realistic options include Ryan Jeffers of the Twins (once he gets healthy), Agustin Ramirez of the Marlins, Joey Bart of the Pirates, Carson Kelly of the Cubs, Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks and Keibert Ruiz of the Nationals," the former general manager wrote when answering a question in his mailbag about potential right-handed hitting catcher targets for the Yankees.
Seeing Ruiz get sent to New York would be a fascinating outcome since star shortstop CJ Abrams has been the Nationals player most often linked to the Yankees when it comes to potential trade deadline deals. However, with it being unclear if Washington is going to ship out Abrams based on what he's done this season and how he's become a clubhouse leader, then still getting some top prospects from New York in exchange for Ruiz would be a great outcome.
Who the Yankees would be willing to part ways with is the most important piece of this potential puzzle. Despite the fact that Ford is in the Nationals' pipeline as the heir apparent, Toboni isn't just going to give away Ruiz for no reason without getting possible future building blocks in return. And with Ford having a tough time with Triple-A Rochester this season, it doesn't seem like Washington is in a rush to bring him up to The Show anytime soon.
Nonetheless, this is something to monitor when it comes to what the Nationals might do ahead of the trade deadline. Because if they do decide to hold onto Abrams, then the front office will likely try to still get back something in return from what has been a seller's market the past few years. And if the Yankees offer them something juicy, then there's a chance Ruiz is playing elsewhere to finish 2026.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai