Nationals Previously Offered CJ Abrams Long-Term Contract According to Report

"The Nationals have believed in Abrams' talent since they acquired him from the San Diego Padres in 2022. In 2024, the team offered him a long-term contract extension, according to multiple people familiar with the talks, though the terms of the offer were unknown and discussions didn't go far," Golden reported.

Of course, that extension discussion was had with previous president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo. Since the terms are unknown, it's not clear whether Washington lowballed Abrams or if the rising star at the time preferred to bet on himself. Either way, because the Nationals weren't able to lock Abrams up to a long-term deal, that has opened the door for this new regime to trade him away.

Could Nationals Get an Extension Worked Out With CJ Abrams Now?

All signs point to current president of baseball operations Paul Toboni trading away Abrams at some point. The star shortstop's stock is through the roof right now based on how he's performed at the plate to start the season. And if he continues that into the All-Star break, he's going to be one of the hottest commodities ahead of the trade deadline and could net the Nationals a return that boosts their farm system to the top of the rankings.

However, Toboni also turned down what was reported to be a strong offer from the San Francisco Giants for Abrams this past offseason. So that indicates he isn't looking to move Abrams just to move him. Whether or not that means Toboni would be interested in extending his star shortstop isn't clear, especially since he hasn't approached other young stars about long-term contracts.

What is known is that the previous regime tried to get something worked out with Abrams but failed to lock him into a deal. And because of that, he could be on the move in the near future as this current regime tries to get this rebuild back on track.