Padres’ perfect trade offer for Nationals’ CJ Abrams

There’s no disguising the San Diego Padres’ offense this season. Ditto for the horrible season Manny Machado is having. However, a trade could help turn things around. And here is the Padres’ perfect offer for Nationals standout CJ Abrams.

The Padres stood in third place in the NL West, heading into Monday’s slate of games. And they remained a long distance behind the front-running Dodgers, trailing by eight games.

Hitting has been the evil part. The Padres have a team batting average of .214. That is a staggering 15 points worse than the second-worst Phillies.

Padres have a big need for SS CJ Abrams

What does Abrams bring to the table? It starts with his youth. It continues with his ability. Abrams appears to be just scratching the surface of what he can accomplish in the big leagues. At age 25, he’s already been a lock for close to 20 homers and over 30 steals per season.

But check out the whole picture. It’s not just the numbers, it’s the money value, according to MLB.com.

“Abrams was a topic of trade buzz during the offseason, and his All-Star-caliber performance has heightened his trade value,” Jessica Camerato wrote. “Abrams, 25, has an enticing contract situation: He is arbitration eligible for two more seasons after this year. Among National League shortstops, Abrams entered Sunday ranked first in home runs, RBIs, wRC+, wOBA, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.”

That’s a healthy amount of check marks. And the Padres appear to be one of the middle-area teams that are willing to buy at the trade deadline. But they need a lot of help. And their star players need to perform, according to The Athletic.

“When you’re a superstar, it means you’ve been very consistent over the course of your career, and it’s always a shock when you’re not as consistent as you’ve always been,” Manager Craig Stammen said when asked about his top hitters’ ongoing struggles. “They’re the ones trying their hardest. And they’re hanging their heads right now. But we got to lift them up and know that better days are ahead.”

What would the Padres’ perfect offer be for CJ Abrams?

Because of Abrams’ potential superstar value, he won’t come cheap. So the Padres will need to start with their top prospect. Catches Ethan Salas would need to be part of the deal. He’s considered a potential 2027 arrival in the major leagues, according to MLB.com.

“Still only 19 come Opening Day 2026, Salas remains one of the most difficult evaluations among today’s prospects,” MLB.com wrote. “He was considered fully healthy and back to taking swings in the offseason. And the power looked like it returned nicely in his early days back in the Texas League to begin this season.

“Even during the bad times, Salas was considered a gifted defender behind the plate and advanced beyond his years in terms of game planning, blocking, and receiving. He’d also worked to become a more efficient thrower to control the running game. Salas still has time on his side.”

That defensive work is exactly why the Nationals might be inclined to make him a centerpiece in this trade.

The Padres would also have to offer an infield prospect to replace Abrams in the Nationals organization. And 19-year-old shortstop Jorge Quintana fits that bill. He’s raw, but talented, according to MLB.com.

“As a switch hitter, he starts from an open stance from both sides — more so from the left — and brings freakish bat speed to the table,” MLB.com wrote. “The contact can be loud for his experience level, as evidenced by a 104.1 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity in his age-18 season. And there could be more pop coming as he adds strength to his 6-foot-2 frame.

“Quintana saw more time at third base in 2024 but was primarily a shortstop last year. With average speed, he can show decent range and actions right now, and his above-average arm strength plays well from deep in the hole. He could be above-average if he needs to slide back to the hot corner.”

Youth plays well for Quintana as well. As a third piece in the trade, the Padres could send a starting pitcher. A good match might be another young player, right-hander Lan-Hong Su. He’s skinny, but has a good ceiling, according to MLB.com.

“Drawing comparisons to fellow past top international signing Humberto Cruz, Su is super projectable at 6-foot-1 and a rail-thin 150 pounds at the time of signing,” MLB.com wrote. “His fastball works 89-94 mph right now, but there is ample room for that velocity to jump as he adds strength within the Padres development program.

“Because he isn’t overthrowing, Su has a natural feel for throwing strikes, and that will aid his starting chances as he moves stateside. Maintaining that control while adding a few ticks of velocity will be key in the early years of his career.”

The Padres would be giving up a big haul of young players. Quintana and Su are considered 2029 arrivals. So, there’s a chance the Nationals would rather have an older pitcher. In that case, Tucker Musgrove fits the bill. He’s 24 years old and considered a 2027 arrival, according to MLB.com.

“The 6-foot-3 right-hander can run his fastball up to triple-digits, and he has a few of them,” MLB.com wrote. “A four-seamer with good riding action up in the zone and a sinker that can equally come in the 97-99 mph range.”