Pittsburgh Pirates Named a Top Suitor for 25-Year-Old Offseason Trade

The Pittsburgh Pirates are not far away from being a playoff contender in the National League. They have shown flashes of that kind of potential this season, but consistency has been a problem in the second half of the year.

Heading into the offseason, the Pirates will be a very interesting team to watch.

In recent years, the front office in Pittsburgh hasn't been willing to pay big money in order to compete. Could that change this coming offseason? Some believe that it could.

A new suggestion has been made that would see the Pirates pursue a trade for a 25-year-old star infielder.

CBS Sports analyst Mike Axisa has named Pittsburgh as one of the top potential suitors for Washington Nationals shortstop C.J. Abrams if he is moved during the offseason.

"The Nationals sold pretty aggressively at the deadline (Luis García Jr., Foster Griffin, Curtis Mead) but kept CJ Abrams, whose name surfaced in trade rumors. My sense is that the leaks had more to do with teams calling about him than Washington shopping him. Abrams has another two years of control, and the Nationals are a team on the rise," Axisa wrote.

"Keeping him and winning with him would be preferable, I imagine, though president of baseball operations Paul Toboni & Co. have to at least be willing to listen. Abrams could bring back an enormous package of not just prospects, but MLB-ready players who can help Washington win in 2027. Super early possible landing spots: Braves, Pirates, Red Sox."

Abrams would be an aggressive target for the Pirates. He could be exactly the piece that helps put the team back in the postseason in 2027.

Throughout the course of the 2026 MLB season thus far, Abrams has played in 120 games with the Nationals. He has hit 29 home runs to go along with 91 RBI, while also producing a slash line of .283/.360/.539. Abrams has also chipped in with 24 stolen bases.

Any trade for a player like Abrams would almost certainly come with a contract extension. Whether or not Pittsburgh would be willing to pay what it would take to keep him remains to be seen.

All of that being said, Abrams is the kind of player who could turn into the face of a franchise. If the Pirates choose to go all-in on trying to win now, Abrams would be a name worth keeping a close eye on as a potential trade target.