Nationals Star Would Be Great Trade Target for Rays to Improve Offense

Should the Tampa Bay Rays pursue a star from the Washington Nationals?

Apr 17, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Washington Nationals hats and gloves in the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the sixth inning at PNC Park. | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have gotten off to a fantastic start to the season and are emerging as a true contender in the American League. 

Coming into the season, the Rays were not expected to be the team that they are so far, and they have exceeded all expectations early on. Tampa Bay has been leaning heavily on their starting rotation that has been fantastic. 

The trio of Shane McClanahan, Drew Rasmussen, and Nick Martinez has been fantastic, and all three are looking to be All-Stars this season. Having one of the best starting rotations in the league has been a reason why they have gotten off to such a strong start, but they do need some help offensively. 

Coming into the season, the Rays had to know that offense was going to be a potential issue. Tampa Bay has been able to muster enough offense, but additional help will be needed to sustain the level of success that they have had. 

One player who could be an excellent target for the team is Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.                                         

CJ Abrams Would Be a Fantastic Target

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

With the Rays currently being one of the best teams in the AL, the time could very well be coming for them to try to make a major splash to improve. While Tampa Bay has played very well this year, there is a clear need to improve their offense and they will have numerous positions in which they could look to target. One of those is at shortstop. 

Even though the team has a former top prospect in Carson Williams at the position, he has struggled in multiple opportunities in the majors now, and that has to be a major disappointment for the franchise. While Taylor Walls is one of the best defenders in the league, he doesn’t provide anything for the team offensively. 

So far this year, Abrams has slashed .292/.390/.532 with nine home runs and 36 RBI. There have been some ups and downs for the 25-year-old in his career so far, but he is having a great start to the campaign right now. 

With two more years under team control, the price would be steep for Abrams. However, he could be a solution at the position for the next few years, and potentially a building block for the team. Every once in a while, the Rays make a splash, and adding a talented player like Abrams could help improve Tampa Bay.