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 just a few years ago, the fact we are here again is disheartening.
However, moving off of players like MacKenzie Gore and maybe even CJ Abrams could be best for the long term future of the franchise.
We have talked at length about a potential MacKenzie Gore trade, so today I wanted to focus on Abrams. Ken Rosenthal just put out a report saying the Nats are drawing heavy interest for Abrams, but have a high asking price.
That asking price is high for good reason. The Nats should not be in any sort of rush to move on from Abrams. He has 3 years of team control remaining and is not a Scott Boras client. If Paul Toboni sees Abrams as a long term building block, he should try to extend him rather than trade him.
Abrams has a very exciting blend of speed and power at the shortstop position. In fact, he is one of five shortstops in MLB history with at least 55 homers and 100 steals before turning 25 years old. It would be a real shame if Abrams was yet another star the Nats let away.
However, there are reasons that Toboni would listen to calls on Abrams. The 25 year old is a poor defender at shortstop, posting -11 outs above average last year. Abrams has also posted OPS marks of .634 and .586 in the second halves of the last two seasons. He is a very exciting player, but also a flawed one.
In 2025, Abrams posted a career high 3.1 fWAR. That is really solid, and the Nats need more players like that, not less. However, that is not the kind of production that is irreplaceable. With Paul Toboni wanting to shake things up, it makes sense why Abrams is available.
It would be a tough pill to swallow though and Toboni will have to nail the return for this move to make sense. Abrams has become a fan favorite, especially among younger Nats fans since he arrived in the Juan Soto trade. This fanbase has been kicked in the teeth a lot in the last five years, and trading Abrams would be another gut punch.
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 big or small market teams.
One trade partner that makes a lot of sense is actually the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates desperately need hitting and are trying to make a splash this offseason. Paul Skenes trade rumors have been bubbling at the surface ever since he arrived in Pittsburgh. The only way the Pirates can make those go away is by building a competitive team around their ace.
Abrams makes a lot of sense for them either as a shortstop or a second baseman. The Nats could take advantage of the Pirates surplus of pitching talent both in the Minors and at the MLB level. Guys like Seth Hernandez, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones, Hunter Barco, and Braxton Ashcraft are all young arms I could see the Nats coveting.
That is just one example, but there are plenty of teams that could use Abrams. I could see teams like the Royals, Yankees, Reds and Red Sox all potentially being interested. A move for Abrams is definitely possible at these Winter Meetings. I still think Gore is more likely to be moved because of Abrams having more team control. However, there is a decent chance that both are moved.
Paul Toboni wants to make the Nats in his image. Moving those two guys would be one heck of a statement. They were two of the prizes of the Juan Soto trade, which was the crown jewel of the previous regime. Now, with the team looking further away than ever, Paul Toboni looks like he is pulling the trigger on rebuilding the rebuild.
