Could a former Padres prospect return to San Diego? CJ Abrams rumors swirl, potentially bringing a dynamic shortstop back to the lineup.
San Diego Padres fans are still looking for the offseason move that’ll satisfy their hunger, despite being just a couple of weeks away from the start of spring training. General manager A.J. Preller hasn’t had free rein to be as aggressive this offseason as fans have become accustomed to, leading to valid concerns about the team’s outlook for 2026.
The biggest move of the winter for San Diego has been bringing back starting pitcher Michael King on a three-year deal – not exactly the most exciting move for a team that got bounced out of the postseason in the Wild Card series last fall. With their key losses, the lack of new talent brought in has been made even more glaring.
Fans need something to happen before camp starts to have hope for a better 2026 season than what they saw last year. Luckily, there’s still a lot of talent around the MLB that is available on the free agent market, as well as players who could be made available via trade. One infield trade candidate could find his way back to San Diego before spring training after previously rising through the ranks as a Padres prospect.
CJ Abrams, shortstop for the Washington Nationals, has seen his name thrown around in trade rumors this offseason, most recently by The Athletic’s Jim Bowden. He reported the Nationals are not shopping the 25-year-old, but they are actively listening to offers.
Abrams was selected with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Padres. He remained a top prospect in the organization and even played 46 games at the big league level for the Padres in 2022 before being sent to the nation’s capital in the Juan Soto trade. Now, Bowden has listed the Padres as a potential trade partner with the Nationals once again, this time to acquire the rising shortstop.
It would be a tough task for Preller, who doesn’t have much prospect talent to work with if he were to try to make a deal happen. San Diego has only one top 100 prospect in baseball, catcher Ethan Salas, and even his value has been declining at an alarming rate. If the Padres were to trade for Abrams, San Diego would likely need to send MLB-ready talent to the Nationals in return.
The Padres’ infield already has Manny Machado at third, Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, and Jake Cronenworth to play at either first or second base. The idea of an Abrams-Padres reunion would likely move him to second base, which may suit him better, considering his -11 outs above average at shortstop in 2025.
If they move him to a position that better hides his flaws on defense, Abrams would be even more valuable. His 111 OPS+ bat and 31 stolen bases led him to his second consecutive season of 3.4 WAR last year. An insertion of youth, such as Abrams, would bring life to a Padres lineup that could certainly use it. If Preller can put together a package appealing enough to bring Abrams back to San Diego, the outlook for the team would be much better than it is currently.