Nationals are 'open to conversations' around dream Guardians trade target

Don’t look now, but it looks like CJ Abrams is available for the right price. 

While there’s been plenty of reporting based around what could happen if Abrams was made available in trade talks, the baseball world got confirmation that the talented shortstop is on the trade block on Monday thanks to a new story from The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. 

In their story, Rosenthal and Sammon reported that the Nationals are truly listening to offers on Abrams and MacKenzie Gore after getting plenty of trade interest in them across the offseason. According to Rosenthal and Sammon, the Nationals are open to conversations on both players, but the bar is high. 

While it remains to be seen exactly how high that bar will be, the Guardians have the prospect capital to go after Abrams, should they so choose. 

CJ Abrams appears to officially be on the trade block 

The 25-year-old shortstop is coming off a season where he hit .257 with 19 home runs, 60 RBI and 31 steals in 144 games with the Nationals, and he’s projected to make $5.6 million in 2026 through arbitration. 

The Nationals are reshaping their organization under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, so it makes sense that Gore and Abrams (two prized acquisitions under the previous regime) would be on the chopping block. 

But Abrams isn’t without his flaws. He was one of baseball’s worst defenders at shortstop, which has led to some hypothesizing that a move to center field (along with second or third base) could be in his future. While that may help the Guardians solve their long-standing problems in the outfield, it would also come with some growing pains. 

There’s also the matter of the fact the Guardians would need to trade for him. Not only would Abrams have an expensive salary (relative to the Guardians’ payroll), but they’d also have to give up multiple assets for him. 

It’s hard to imagine a world where any team looking to trade with the Guardians would start any potential trade talks with Parker Messick and/or Joey Cantillo before going from there. The Guardians have some redundant players who could work as trade chips like Gabriel Arias or Logan Allen, but they alone won’t be enough to net Abrams.  

Abrams has a tantalizing combination of power and speed, but his defensive shortcomings and inability to consistently get on base (career on-base percentage of .306) go against the ethos of how the Guardians build their offense. 

That, coupled with some reporting that’s making it seem like the Guardians are going to stand pat at the Winter Meetings, makes it seem like Abrams will end up elsewhere if he’s traded.