A week from the Major League Baseball trade deadline, a Washington Nationals CJ Abrams trade appears less and less likely. The team has said it has no interest in trading its young shortstop, but that it will listen to offers. Translation: It’s going to cost several arms and legs to pry him away from the nation’s capital, and rightfully so. The 25-year-old is hitting .297 (12 in the MLB) with 27 home runs (seventh).
Abrams is only making $4.2 million this season and is under team control through the 2028 season, so why would they even listen to calls? For starters, as great as he is offensively, his defensive prowess is lacking. Second, the team’s top prospect, Eli Willits (first overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft), also plays shortstop. Finally, why not strike while the iron is hot? If they can get the haul they are asking for, they should do it now. Abrams’ value decreases every season, regardless of how he plays.
The rumored cost will be multiple top prospect pitchers and a position player or two. Teams have been reluctant to give up a cupboard full of young players who will be Major League starters for one current starter, but if that one starter makes the difference in a World Series title or not, then the price is worth it. Here is a look at five teams that could make that move, and who exactly they would have to give up.
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are 52-54, 1.5 games out of the wild card, and still in contention to win the AL West. Their .231 team batting average is 28th in the league, and their shortstop has played a role in helping them get there. JP Crawford is hitting .217 with 10 home runs on the season, and getting Abrams added to the middle of Seattle’s lineup would do wonders for the team.
It wouldn’t be cheap, though, and the top pitching prospect in all of baseball (Kade Anderson) would headline the haul for Washington. The third overall pick in the 2025 draft out of LSU is 9-1 in AA Arkansas with a 1.27 ERA and averaging 13.3 strikeouts per nine innings. Getting a future Paul Skenes wouldn’t be enough for the Nationals, however. They would also ask for Lazaro Montes (OF) and Charlie Beilenson (RHP) to make the deal work.
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves sit atop the NL East standings with a record of 62-43. It’s unlikely the Philadelphia Phillies will catch them, so adding a player like Abrams isn’t necessary to get to the playoffs (as was the case with the Mariners), but it would go a long way towards them winning the final game of the season. Jorge Mateo is starting at shortstop right now and providing close to nothing (.240 average with four home runs). With Ronald Acuna coming back, adding Abrams would make Atlanta a powerhouse.
As was the case with Seattle, the Braves would have to part with their top pitching prospect, Cam Caminiti. The 24th pick in the 2024 draft was taken out of high school and isn’t as far along as Anderson, so the pot would need a lot more sweetening for Washington to bite. Atlanta would need to add Lucas Braun (RHP), Herick Hernandez (LHP), and Eric Hartman (OF) just to get the deal started.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is out in front of the AL East with a record of 62-43. They currently hold a three-game lead over the New York Yankees, who also could be interested in Abrams, but not long-term, since they have George Lombard in the pipeline. The Rays have a potent lineup, with three potential MVP candidates, but shortstop is a hole for them. Taylor Walls is hitting .233 with no home runs on the year, and the lineup would be downright scary if they replaced him with Abrams.
The cost would be high to get the Nationals’ young star. Headlining the package would be right-handed pitcher Brody Hopkins. The sixth-round pick out of Winthrop is currently 4-7 with the Durham Bulls, sporting a 4.63 ERA. He would be joined in any trade for Abrams by Jacob Melton (OF) and Michael Forret (RHP).
Boston Red Sox
The Red Sox and Nationals just made a deal for an infielder, so it would be unlikely they’d do it again, but then again, crazier things have happened. Despite being down and out to start the season, Boston has been on fire lately, and they believe a deep postseason run is possible. Starting shortstop Trevor Story is on the 60-day DL, and Andruw Monasterio is far from adequate (.251 with five home runs). Abrams would be the missing piece for Beantown.
It would take a monster package for Boston to get the power-hitting shortstop, and it would start with dealing a shortstop of their own. Their top prospect, Franklin Arias, would be the centerpiece of the deal, and they’d also have to include their top three right-handed pitching prospects: Anthony Eyanson, Kyson Witherspoon, and Juan Valera.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Nobody wants to see the rich get richer, but they do, which is why the saying exists. At 67-39, the Los Angeles Dodgers aren’t just the best team in the National League; they are the best team in all of baseball. They have a great rotation that only gets stronger when Shohei Ohtani is cleared to pitch again, and their lineup is absolutely juiced. It would be unfair to add Abrams to it, but the team could put him at short and move Mookie Betts to second, where he belongs.
Despite having a loaded big league club, the Dodgers have a strong farm system as well. They would headline a deal for Abrams with outfield prospect Josue De Paula, who’s hitting .309 with 16 home runs in AA Tulsa right now. They’d have to throw in Mike Sirota (OF), River Ryan (RHP), Zach Root (LHP), and Jackson Ferris (LHP) to make it work, but for another World Series title, that’s peanuts.
Nationals CJ Abrams Likely Staying Put
Even though there are a number of teams who would benefit from Abrams in their lineup, and despite the fact they have the resources to acquire him, it appears the asking price is still too high, and he will remain with the Nationals through the deadline and for the rest of the season. Maybe a trade happens in the offseason, but if he is going to be moved, it will likely be at the 2027 trade deadline.
