The San Francisco Giants’ search for an impact position player hit another dead end, as trade discussions with the Washington Nationals for shortstop C.J. Abrams failed to produce an agreement.

According to reporting from The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, the Giants and Nationals were unable to align on a return package that would justify Washington moving one of its cornerstone players.

Abrams, 25, is coming off a strong campaign in which he earned All-Star recognition in 2024 and followed it up with a 2025 season featuring a 111 OPS+, 19 home runs, and 31 stolen bases. He is projected to earn $4.2 million this year and remains under club control for three more seasons.

San Francisco viewed Abrams as a potential everyday solution at second base, a move that would have allowed Casey Schmitt to slide into a super-utility role across the infield. However, the Nationals’ asking price proved steep.

Baggarly reported that multiple Giants prospects were discussed during talks, including left-handers Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan, as well as position players Bo Davidson and Jhonny Level, both of whom recently landed on Baseball America’s top-100 prospects list.

Even with a sizable package on the table, Washington remained unconvinced.

The breakdown reflects a broader theme this winter: Rival clubs appear less willing to meet the Giants’ internal valuation of their farm system.

Despite boasting one of the organization’s strongest minor-league pipelines in years, San Francisco has struggled to leverage that depth into Major League upgrades. Similar pursuits involving players such as Brendan Donovan and Edward Cabrera also came up empty.

As Baggarly noted, the Giants are likely finished reshaping their rotation after adding Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle, leaving position players as the clearest area of need.

Yet outside of acquiring catching prospect Daniel Susac via a Rule 5-related move, the offense remains largely unchanged. The outfield and designated hitter situations are particularly unsettled, with few proven options in place.

With the Abrams talks stalled, San Francisco may pivot back to free agency. League sources told Baggarly that center fielder Harrison Bader is one possible target, while contact hitter Luis Arraez could also be explored despite defensive limitations.

While the Giants’ future remains bright thanks to elite prospects like Bryce Eldridge, the present-day roster is still a work in progress.

As Baggarly’s reporting makes clear, time is becoming a factor, and the pressure is mounting for San Francisco to find meaningful ways to support its core heading into the 2026 season.

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