Rays Reportedly Want Catching Help, Here's Why Nationals Would Be Perfect Trade Partner
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The Washington Nationals are going to be featured in plenty of rumors now that the trade deadline is less than a month away.
While it seems like they are not going to deal star shortstop CJ Abrams after the 25-year-old put together an incredible first half of the season to earn himself starting honors in the All-Star Game, there are plenty of other players president of baseball operations Paul Toboni could shop to get high-end pieces for the franchise's future. And based on the information that's come out regarding what some teams are searching for ahead of Aug. 3, the Nationals could find themselves in a perfect spot to thread the needle of being both buyers and sellers.
The latest news nugget that lines up well for them is the fact that the Tampa Bay Rays are searching for catching help, which gives Washington a great chance of possibly moving Keibert Ruiz.
Nationals Could Deal Keibert Ruiz to Rays Ahead of Trade Deadline
"The Tampa Bay Rays are another team interested in catching help," reported Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required). "In addition to pitching, the Rays want to add an impact hitter to complement Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz and Jonathan Aranda. Could be at second base. Could be in the outfield. Could be at catcher."
The insider added that Minnesota Twins backstop Ryan Jeffers is someone who could be moved, and that the New York Yankees and Rays would have interest if Jeffers was made available. That might create "an AL East bidding war," according to Rosenthal, and the loser would have to turn their attention elsewhere to add a catcher.
That's where Toboni and the Nationals could enter the mix with Ruiz.
While the 27-year-old has a documented history of struggling the few seasons with OPS+ figures from 2022-25 being below the league average of 100, he has had a bounce back year in the first half of this campaign with a .279/.308/.463 slash line, six home runs, 23 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs and an OPS+ of 112. Add in his improved defensive numbers with values of plus-three in framing, plus-three in run value and plus-five in defensive runs saved, and the switch-hitting catcher is someone who might be of interest to Tampa Bay with team control at roughly $9.6 million per year through 2032.
The Rays have been searching for an answer at catcher for years, as they have routinely finished towards the bottom of major league rankings when it comes to getting production from that position. Because of that, they might be a little squeamish about giving up assets for Ruiz based on his past struggles. However, there aren't expected to be a ton of high-end catchers made available, so rolling the dice on Washington's starting backstop, who seems to have found his stride at the plate, could be the direction that front office takes.
Why Trading Keibert Ruiz Would Benefit the Nationals
Nationals fans might be wondering why the team would trade away one of their most productive players -- he ranks sixth on the team with a wRC+ of 109 -- since they are still in the midst of a playoff push. But this would be a long-term play where Washington might be selling high on a player to bring back assets for the future, while also creating a runway for prized catching prospect Harry Ford to get full-time major league reps.
If Toboni and his front office are interested in shopping Ruiz around, it will be intriguing to see what type of offers they might get and what type of return they would be looking for if they were to trade the resurgent catcher. And because it seems like Abrams is going to stay put -- which limits the haul of prospects they could bring into the organization this year -- then using Ruiz -- who has turned into one of their top trade chips -- might be the best way for the Nationals to maximize their return.
Keep an eye on something materializing in the coming weeks between Tampa Bay and Washington. Because if the Rays are still looking for catching help, like Rosenthal reported, then the Nationals might just be a perfect trade partner for them to accomplish that goal.
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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