The Winter Meetings are now underway and the idea of the Nationals trading their young stars is a big talking point. After having a fire sale a few years ago, the fact that we are here again is disheartening. However, moving on from players like MacKenzie Gore and perhaps even CJ Abrams could be best for the long-term future of the franchise.
We’ve talked at length about a potential MacKenzie Gore trade, so today I wanted to focus on Abrams. Ken Rosenthal just released a report stating that the Nats have strong interest in Abrams but a high asking price.
That asking price is high for a reason. The Nats shouldn’t be in any rush to move on from Abrams. He has three years of team control left and is not a Scott Boras client. If Paul Toboni sees Abrams as a long-term building block, he should look to extend him instead of trading him.
Abrams has a very exciting mix of speed and power at the shortstop position. In fact, he is one of five shortstops in MLB history with at least 55 home runs and 100 steals before turning 25 years old. It would be a real shame if Abrams was another star the Nats left out.
However, there are reasons why Toboni would listen to calls to Abrams. The 25-year-old is a poor defender at shortstop, post -11 outs above last year’s average. Abrams has also posted OPS marks of .634 and .586 in the second half of the past two seasons. He is a very exciting player, but also a flawed one.
In 2025, Abrams posted a career-high 3.1 fWAR. That’s really solid, and the Nats need more of those types of players, not fewer. However, that is not the kind of production that is irreplaceable. With Paul Toboni looking to shake things up, it makes sense why Abrams is available.
However, it would be a tough pill to swallow and Toboni will have to get the return to make this move meaningful. Abrams has become a fan favorite, especially among younger Nats fans since arriving in the Juan Soto trade. This fanbase has been kicked in the teeth a lot over the past five years, and trading Abrams would be another slap in the face.
If Toboni were to trade Abrams, there would be no shortage of suitors. Abrams’ three years of fairly cheap team control make him an attractive target for large or small market teams.
One trade partner that makes a lot of sense is actually the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates desperately need a goal and are looking to make an impact this season. The Paul Skene trade rumors have been bubbling to the surface since he arrived in Pittsburgh. The only way the Pirates can make this one go away is by building a competitive team around their ace.
Abrams makes a lot of sense for them, either as a shortstop or as a second baseman. The Nats could benefit from the Pirates’ surplus of pitching talent at both the Minors and MLB levels. Guys like Seth Hernandez, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones, Hunter Barco and Braxton Ashcraft are all young guns that I could see the Nats coveting.
That’s just one example, but there are plenty of teams that could use Abrams. I saw that teams like the Royals, Yankees, Reds and Red Sox were all potentially interested. A move for Abrams is certainly possible at these Winter Meetings. I still think Gore is more likely to be moved because Abrams has more team control. However, there is a good chance that both will be moved.
Paul Toboni wants to make the Nats in his image. Moving those two guys would be a great statement. They were two of the prizes from the Juan Soto trade, the crown jewel of the previous regime. With the team looking further afield than ever, it appears Paul Toboni will pull the trigger on the rebuild.
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