Rays Wisely Predicted to Trade for Orioles Slugger

Which slugger from the Baltimore Orioles were the Tampa Bay Rays predicted to land?

Mar 30, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; A detailed view of the Tampa Bay Rays hat at American Family Field. | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Even though the Tampa Bay Rays have been off to a great start to the campaign and are still comfortably over .500, there have been some concerns of late with how the team has performed. 

Coming into the season, the Rays were not expected to be nearly as good as they have been. The starting rotation was expected to be a strength of the team, but the performances of Nick Martinez and Shane McClanahan would have been hard to predict. 

Good pitching can cover up a lot of flaws, and that has been the case with Tampa Bay so far. However, while they might not have expected to be as good as they have been, the team now has a great opportunity to make the playoffs this season, and they should have an aggressive mindset. With a couple of key needs, the Rays should be very active at the trade deadline, pursuing help. 

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Rays would land Baltimore Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward. 

Ward Makes A lot of Sense

Jun 22, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Baltimore Orioles left fielder Taylor Ward (3) runs the bases after a home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. | William Navarro-Imagn Images

When looking at some of the needs for Tampa Bay, help in the lineup is right at the top of the list. Due to the team not performing as well of late, there has to be some concern, and the lineup for the most part hasn’t been getting the job done. 

Ward was a big name traded this offseason from the Los Angeles Angels to the Orioles. Baltimore likely thought they were going to be getting a player who could hit 30 home runs, but he hasn’t quite been able to replicate that success. 

While Ward is showing some signs of power of late, he has still been a productive hitter with his batting average and on-base percentage much higher than in 2025. The Rays are an offense that has been relying on their star trio way too much this year. 

Even though Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, and Junior Caminero can be one of the best trios in the game, they need more help. The lineup can look way too short at times, and if they are going to compete with the New York Yankees, this unit overall needs to be better. 

As a player on an expiring contract, the asking price for Ward shouldn’t be too high. Furthermore, with no financial commitment to him next season, that also is a good thing for the Rays as they try to figure out their future payroll.