One day after the Washington Nationals traded one star, rumors about another in CJ Abrams emerge
One day after the Washington Nationals made their biggest move of the offseason, news broke that the front office has been keeping tabs on other possible changes with other marquee names.
That starts with shortstop CJ Abrams, who drew significant interest from the San Francisco Giants this offseason, per The Athletic.
Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic noted that the Giants upped their aggression on a potential trade signaled a willingness to trade Josuar Gonzalez, San Francisco's second-best prospect and 82nd across the minors, per MLB.com.
The Athletic also noted that left-handed pitcher Carson Whisenhunt, outfielder Bo Davidson, shortstop Jhonny Level and left-handed pitcher Jacob Bresnahan with two of the four ranked inside the top 100.
The proposal fizzled after the two sides were unable to agree on a “fair return,” though Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post noted on Friday that a move closer to the trade deadline could be viewed more likely than the offseason.
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni pushed back on the idea that Washington is shopping their shortstop.
“We'll field calls. I will give you the cliche response that probably every GM in every sport gives -- we'd be dumb not to listen. Right? It's not like we are calling other teams and looking to trade CJ," Toboni said during an appearance on 106.7 on Friday.
"While we'll always listen, we're going to take it day-by-day. And see what comes our way. If there's something that makes sense, we'll talk about it. But it hasn't even come close at this point in time.”
Abrams was also linked to previous trade rumors during Winter Meetings alongside MacKenzie Gore, though Toboni also pushed back on the prospect of the organization parting ways with the star infielder before entertaining the idea of parting with Gore. But it becomes the latest question as the front office looks to address the future of its roster with an influx of talent back in the farm system following the Gore trade.
The Nationals' starting shortstop is coming off his third full season with the club where he posted a career-high .257 across 144 games, adding 19 home runs, 35 doubles and 60 RBIs while posting his second consecutive season with 31 stolen bases.
Abrams wasn’t the only one drawing interest with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic adding that Jacob Young, who is under club control for four more years, is another popular trade target as teams look to upgrade their outfield. Rosenthal added “it’s unclear whether Washington will move him” despite adding that “club officials viewed Gore similarly” before ultimately being traded.
Whether the Abrams rumors now take the place of the Gore rumors that carried through much of the offseason remains to be seen with the Nationals' new front office taking a clear patient approach as they maneuver both the current and future outlook of the roster. Still under 25, Abrams should command a consistent market as the Nationals continue to retool their roster. But until then, we wait as the Washington Nationals look to take a step forward amid a dwindling outlook on the 2026 season.