Breaking Down if Rays Should Pursue Trade for Talented Nationals' Outfielder

Should the Tampa Bay Rays try to pursue a talented outfielder from the Washington Nationals?

Aug 12, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A Washington Nationals hat and glove in the dugout before a game against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium. | Peter Aiken-Imagn Images

With the Washington Nationals recently trading away their star pitcher MacKenzie Gore, another one of their players could be on the market. Should the Tampa Bay Rays pursue a talented young outfielder from them?

Shortly after a blockbuster trade sent Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets from the Milwaukee Brewers, the Nationals then pulled off a big trade with the Texas Rangers, sending their ace there for a haul of prospects. 

Washington is clearly going to be rebuilding still following the trading of Gore, and now recent reports are that they might not be done. According to Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic (subscription required) they also might be looking to move outfielder Jacob Young. 

This offseason, the Rays have had a desire to improve their outfield situation, and they have completely revamped the unit. However, with Young potentially being available, he could present them with another option to explore. 

Should Tampa Bay Pursue Young?

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Coming into the winter, one of the first things that the Rays looked to accomplish was improving an outfield that simply didn’t perform well offensively in 2025. They have certainly been able to reshape the group, and this unit is going to look completely different than it did last year. 

Currently, the projected outfield for the Rays will feature Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, Chandler Simpson, and Justyn-Henry Malloy for the most part. Furthermore, in the trade that sent Brandon Lowe to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a three-team deal, they also brought back Jacob Melton from the Houston Astros as part of that package. 

Melton is now a top prospect for the Rays, and with some experience in the majors in 2025, could be a potential option to get significant playing time as well. Overall, the unit has certainly improved with the additions, and getting rid of some players that have struggled for the franchise is a welcome sight. 

When breaking down whether or not Young is a fit, the first thing that pops up is that he is under team control for the next four years. That is always appealing to a Tampa Bay team that is mindful of payroll. 

The 26-year-old performed well for the team in 2024 but saw a significant drop off in production at the plate last season. Young is a player that can provide good defense and steal bases, but he hasn’t really lit it up from an offensive standpoint. 

Overall, while he is a talented young player under team control, the moves made by the Rays have improved the outfield enough that Young likely wouldn’t make too much of an impact for the team.