The San Francisco Giants Aggressively Pursued CJ Abrams

The San Francisco Giants have been looking to add an infielder throughout the offseason and are pursuing every available option. A recent report from The Athletic revealed that the Giants aggressively pursued Shortstop CJ Abrams, but were unable to agree on a fair return with the Washington Nationals.

The biggest hole on the Giants’ roster has been the middle of the infield, and Abrams has been one of the names they’ve gone after so far. Unfortunately, the prices on the trade market are absolutely ridiculous, which is why the offseason has moved at a historically slow pace as we get closer to Spring Training. With a few weeks of the offseason remaining, will the Giants pull off a blockbuster trade?

Giants Really Wanted Abrams

The Giants were open to moving some of their top prospects for Abrams, and one prospect rumored to be part of the trade was the team’s second-ranked prospect, Josuar Gonzalez. He’s a switch-hitter with electric bat speed from both sides of the plate. Gonzalez is a better left-handed hitter, but displays plenty of power as a righty as well. Once he’s fully developed, he could turn into a consistent .280 hitter with 25 homers. It’s also worth noting he’s drawn a ton of comparisons to Francisco Lindor.

San Francisco was open to including top prospects like Carson Whisenhunt (No. 7 prospect), Jacob Bresnahan (No. 11 prospect), Bo Davidson (No. 5 prospect), and Jhonny Level (No. 4 prospect), per Andrew Baggarly. Abrams is a good, not great player, so I’d consider the Giants very lucky to have not traded any of their top prospects for him. There are still better names available on the trade market that are very appealing options for San Francisco.

The Nationals Are Being Unreasonable

The asking price for Abrams seemed higher than what they got for MacKenzie Gore. Washington received the Rangers’ number 2, 6, 12, 16, and 18th prospects in the farm system. Gore has more upside compared to Abrams, yet the Nationals are asking for more in return for the shortstop. On paper, Abrams is a great name to have, but he really isn’t anything special that teams should be dying to add to their rosters. 

In his time in MLB, Abrams has yet to hit over .260 and post an OPS higher than .800. His offensive numbers are subpar, and his defense is even worse. Denying trades like the Giants were offering is exactly why they will be in a rebuild forever. They hold on to young talent who are failing to take the next step, and when they receive offers for players like Abrams and can get a huge package in return for potentially better players, they turn them down.

What’s Next For the Giants?

The Giants must pivot to Brendan Donovan, a clear upgrade over Abrams. As a 28-year-old switch-hitter with team control through 2027 and a .280 career average, Donovan is the ideal solution for the top of their lineup. The Giants, consistently frontrunners alongside the Mariners, cannot afford to miss out on him this offseason.

If they were willing to trade Gonzalez, Level, and Davidson for Abrams, there’s no excuse not to include them in a deal for Donovan. The Giants are desperate. They must make a major move or risk being completely humiliated by division rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.