Rays trade prediction lands Orioles’ ‘impact’ .750 OPS outfielder initially appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Tampa Bay Rays have a transparent want for the trade deadline.
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Adding energy to the lineup ought to and shall be a precedence. The Rays rank useless final within the Majors with 63 house runs.
Star third baseman Junior Caminero leads the best way with 16. Jonathan Aranda and Yandy Diaz each have 12.
Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer predicts {that a} nine-year veteran outfielder with 5 homers can be an excellent slot in Tampa Bay.
“The fit here is simple. The Rays need any kind of impact hitter, and there’s no better place for one than in an outfield that has a .653 OPS,” Rymer wrote. “And since said outfield skews left-handed, [Taylor] Ward as a fit is too obvious.”
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Ward was acquired by the Baltimore Orioles from the Los Angeles Angels this previous offseason.
He had among the best seasons of his profession in 2025, hitting a private finest 36 house runs with a .792 OPS.
Ward’s slugging numbers are down, however he is managed to attach for 17 doubles and draw walks in 17.4% of his journeys to the plate.
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“The Orioles could look to extract an arm or two from a Rays system that has plenty of good ones,” Rymer added. “Second-ranked prospect Brody Hopkins could perhaps be in play amid a rough year, with someone like T.J. Nichols (No. 10) perhaps representing a more likely play.”
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Even if the Rays traded for Ward, they nonetheless may want extra offensive additions. But it is a stable place to begin.