New York Yankees Must Avoid Popular Trade Suggestion at all Costs

The New York Yankees will almost certainly swing a couple of significant deals between now and the MLB trade deadline. They desperately need relief pitching, and they could also use another bat.

In terms of the latter, the Yankees will have to be pretty picky in terms of where they add another position player, as they are pretty loaded at most spots. Catcher and third base, however, are notable weak points.

Austin Wells — who is currently on the injured list due to cervical headaches — has been abysmal all season long, and while Ryan McMahon has been better of late, he is still not exactly a reliable hitter.

But could New York actually turn around and acquire a shortstop?

We know that Anthony Volpe's performance has been a major point of contention since last year, and while Jose Caballero held his own in Volpe's absence this season, he is best suited as a super-utility man.

That's why the Yankees are being floated as a potential trade destination for Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who could be made available in the weeks leading up to Aug. 3.

But would Abrams actually represent a good fit for New York?

On paper, Abrams looks like a slam dunk. He is slashing .287/.378/.526 with 14 home runs and 51 RBI over 288 plate appearances this season, the best campaign of his career to date.

Abrams was originally selected by the San Diego Padres with the sixth overall pick of the 2019 MLB Draft and was traded to the Nationals as part of the Juan Soto deal midway through the 2022 campaign, his debut season.

The 25-year-old owns a lifetime .253/.314/.424 slash line, so he really wasn't living up to his lofty expectations up until this year. Perhaps he has finally found his stroke.

The biggest problem with Abrams, though, is his glove.

Abrams is genuinely one of the worst defensive infielders in baseball. He owns a minus-5 DRS and minus-9 OAA this season. Last year, he was a minus-6 and a minus-11, respectively. Back in 2024, he was a minus-18 in OAA.

Clearly, the Alpharetta, Ga. native struggles in the field, and the Yankees learned in the 2024 World Series just how valuable defense truly is.

It's also too early to tell if Abrams' offensive breakout is for real or just a two-and-a-half month outlier. His peripherals all look pretty good, but again, the sample size is pretty small.

Plus, what about George Lombard Jr.? Lombard is slated to be New York's shortstop of the future and could take over at the position as soon as next season. Unless, the Yankees would plan on moving Abrams to second base following Jazz Chisholm's likely departure, it doesn't seem wise to stick him at shortstop now.

And to be quite frank, Washington may very well ask for Lombard in return for Abrams, which would be a very steep price for the Yankees to pay.

Abrams is under club control through 2028. The Nats have also been a pleasant surprise this season and are firmly in playoff contention, so they have no reason to trade their former All-Star right now. They can absolutely be patient.

If the Nationals do shop Abrams, however, you can bet that they will demand a king's ransom in return, and Lombard would probably be a part of the conversation.

There is certainly quite a bit to like about Abrams at the plate, especially with the lefty slugger nearly doubling his walk rate this season. But again, his track record is still too shaky to completely buy into what he is currently doing, and defensively, he is nothing short of an unmitigated disaster.

The Yankees should be looking elsewhere for offensive assistance.

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