Nationals Could Decide to Sell High on Keibert Ruiz This Offseason

Will the Washington Nationals trade Keibert Ruiz?

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Remember last offseason when the Washington Nationals acquired top catching prospect Harry Ford from the Seattle Mariners?

That made it seem like the writing was on the wall that Keibert Ruiz's time in the nation's capital was coming to an end after the disappointing stretch he had from 2022-25 where he was both a below-average offensive player and defender.

However, it didn't play out that way. Ford began the 2026 campaign in the minors and Ruiz was given a runway to break out. The latter did exactly that. And even when Ford was called up into the backup role, Ruiz was able to do enough where he is firmly No. 1 on the catcher depth chart heading into next season.

But could the Nationals decide to move on from Ruiz this winter? It wouldn't be shocking if they did.

Keibert Ruiz Has Restored His Value

Washington Nationals catcher Keibert Ruiz | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For one, Ruiz has restored his value after a long stretch of inadequate play.

He slashed .280/.316/.443 with 10 home runs, 24 doubles and 48 RBIs across 105 games played. He stayed healthy for the most part, and he posted an OPS+ figure of 107 and a wRC+ of 105; both of which are above the leauge average marks of 100. He also improved his defense, as his fielding run value of plus-two was the best of his career, and his plus-three framing grade was in the 70th percentile for major league catchers.

While there are certainly teams out there that are hesitant about if this is the real Ruiz based on what he did the four seasons prior, the 28-year-old showed that he can be a solid big league player with an fWAR of 1.9 during the 2026 campaign. In fact, among catchers who had at least 150 plate appearances while playing the position this year, Ruiz finished No. 16 in fWAR. He was also just one of 20 catchers with at least 150 plate appearances who had an fWAR of 1.0 or higher and was above the league average in wRC+.

Because of that, catcher-needy teams might be looking at Ruiz as an option this winter, which could put president of baseball operations Paul Toboni back in the spotlight when it comes to making another aggressive decision.

Nationals Have Shown They Are Willing to Sell High on Players

Former Washington Nationals infielders Curtis Mead and infielder Luis Garcia Jr. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Toboni has not shied away from making deals that he believes are in the best long-term interests of the franchise.

That began last offseason, when he shipped staff ace MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in exchange for five top-30 prospects despite the fact that Washington possessed a subpar rotation. Then, after seeing top prospect Jake Bennett perform well in the Arizona Fall League, Toboni used that to bring in high-ceiling pitcher Luis Perales, which was an aggressive prospect-for-prospect deal.

Later, before trade deadline talks had even started to heat up, Toboni decided to flip infielder Curtis Mead to the Boston Red Sox, as the first-year executive used the breakout season from Mead to land a potential frontline starter in Connelly Early. And then, despite Luis Garcia Jr. having another year of club control remaining before he was set to become a free agent, Toboni sent the slugging first baseman to the New York Yankees to get back more pieces for the future.

That type of history means anything is on the table when it comes to Ruiz.

While Ford didn't have a performance in 2026 that would make anyone comfortable with him becoming the No. 1 catcher heading into next season, that doesn't mean Toboni won't make that a reality if he can get back a strong return package for Ruiz in a potential deal.

With all of that in mind, don't be surprised if there is some trade chatter surrounding Ruiz at any point this winter, as Toboni and the Nationals just might decide to sell high on another one of their players.