Yankees Should Avoid This One Blockbuster Trade Like the Plague

The New York Yankees did not really make any blockbuster moves over the winter. Yes, they acquired Ryan Weathers in a trade with the Miami Marlins, but that was viewed as more of an ancillary deal than anything else.

Could the Yankees get more active between now and the MLB trade deadline?

One name that has surfaced as a potential option for New York is Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, who was named the most likely player to be dealt in Spring Training during a recent executive survey conducted by The Athletic.

Based on how Anthony Volpe has become sort of a pariah in the Bronx, you can understand why the Yankees would be connected to a shortstop.

But Abrams is simply not the answer.

The former first-round pick entered the big leagues with the San Diego Padres in 2022 and was then promptly traded to the Nationals in the deal that sent Juan Soto back to the Padres midway through that season.

Abrams has never really lived up to expectations, owning a lifetime .249/.306/.411 slash line. Last season, he slashed .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs and 60 RBI, and while his overall numbers were better than Volpe's, we need to keep a couple of things in mind.

First of all, Volpe played most of 2025 with a torn labrum in his shoulder. He suffered the injury in May, and prior to that, he was actually performing pretty well.

Abrams had no such issue last year, and on top of that, he is one of the worst defensive infielders in all of baseball.

The 25-year-old posted a minus-6 DRS and minus-11 OAA in 2025, and he also committed 22 errors. I know errors are not the best way to judge a player, but when the other metrics match, it makes sense to cite them.

Abrams is under team control through 2028, meaning that Washington does not have to be in any rush to move him. It also means the Nationals can ask for a king's ransom.

In no way, shape or form should the Yankees be willing to part with such a haul for Abrams, who is an elite baserunner but does not provide much value elsewhere.

New York would be better off playing things out with Volpe for now and waiting for one of George Lombard Jr. or Dax Kilby to develop within its farm system to potentially supplant Volpe down the line.

Abrams should not even be under consideration for the Yankees. It just doesn't make sense.

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