New York Yankees' CJ Abrams Trade Rumors are Concerning

During the 2026 MLB campaign, we heard CJ Abrams connected to the New York Yankees numerous times throughout the year.

We also heard Abrams' name floated as a trade target for the Yankees last offseason, but up until this point, nothing has materialized.

That could change this winter.

Why? Because New York is in need of middle infield help, and Abrams is now down to two years of club control remaining with the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals absolutely did not have to move him last year, and their decision to hold on to him proved to be wise, as he enjoyed the best season of his career in 2026.

But with it looking less and less likely that Washington will be able to keep Abrams long term, the Nats may look to jettison him now to maximize his value.

Enter the Yankees, who now have a gaping hole at second base following Jazz Chisholm's inevitable departure. To be quite frank, they had a hole there even with Chisholm.

Right now, Anthony Volpe is the primary candidate to take over the starting job, with Luis Garcia Jr. — whom New York acquired from the Nationals back at the MLB trade deadline — also representing a not-so-enticing possibility.

It seems more likely that the Yanks will attempt to find an answer outside the organization, and once again, Abrams is being mentioned as a potential target.

Abrams is a shortstop, and not a very good one. In fact, he is terrible defensively, so moving over to second would probably benefit him.

But it still might not be the best move for the Yankees.

Abrams posted minus-3 defensive runs saved and minus-17 outs above average this past season. His fielding run value was also a minus-12. Those numbers are no fluke, either. They are right in line with his career averages.

At the plate, the 26-year-old was far better, slashing .261/.336/.497 with 33 home runs and 106 RBI over 654 plate appearances. He also stole 34 bases in 40 attempts.

However, in spite of his offensive breakout, there are absolutely reasons to be concerned about Abrams at the dish.

The former first-round pick slashed just .239/.313/.479 after the All-Star break, and while that still resulted in a very solid .791 OPS, it was a massive dropoff from his first half and much more in line with his lifetime numbers (.252/.313/.431).

Abrams' 24.2 percent strikeout rate was also alarming, and it should be noted that his expected slugging percentage was .438.

Now, you can argue that the lefty slugger would fair much better in Yankee Stadium. A 40-homer campaign is a distinct possibility in the Bronx.

But just how much would Abrams cost the Yankees? And exactly who is he?

The Nationals aren't just going to let Abrams go. They will require a steep package from New York in return, and we still don't know for sure just how good Abrams actually is.

Would he be an offensive upgrade over Volpe? Sure, but it's important to keep in mind he owns a lifetime .744 OPS. Decent? Sure. Great? Hardly. That's right around the same as Garcia's career .733 OPS, and Abrams is nearly as bad of a middle infielder.

So why pay the extravagant cost required to nab Abrams when you might already have a fairly similar player — a left-handed hitter, at that — already on your roster?

I actually think Garcia should be a trade candidate because of his overrated offense, so I'm not really a fan of making an all-in push to acquire Abrams.

Abrams has pop and he is fast, but I'm not sure he's good enough to warrant the price the Yankees would have to pay.