Why C.J. Abrams may not be with the Nationals much longer

Why trade a young cornerstone player?

That is the strange part about Abrams showing up in trade talk. On the surface he looks exactly like the kind of player a rebuilding team should keep. He is young, electric on the bases, and capable of turning a routine ground ball into chaos in about three seconds. Yet that same profile is what makes rival front offices curious. 

Contenders are always hunting for athletic middle infielders, especially ones still under team control for several years. Abrams checks every box. Washington knows it too. Which is why the conversation around the league is less about the Nationals wanting to move him and more about other teams wondering what it would take to pry him loose. Rumors tend to start that way. Then the speculation begins to run rampant.

Far from a done deal

Of course, moving Abrams is far from a sure thing. Washington finally looks like it has the beginnings of a real core again. James Wood is already in the lineup and Dylan Crews is part of that young outfield mix. Abrams sits right in the middle of that group. A shortstop who can hit for power, steal bases, and cover ground the way he does is not the kind of player rebuilding teams usually rush to trade. Often, those are the players you try to build around. Which leaves the Nationals with a decision. Keep the centerpiece in place or listen when the rest of the league inevitably starts calling.

The pipeline at SS has solid depth

The Nationals’ pipeline at shortstop is heavy. Seaver King, a shortstop currently working his way through the system, could eventually push for a look in Washington later this season if he continues to develop well. His speed and defensive range give the organization another athletic option in the middle of the field. 

At the same time, the Nationals’ top prospect, Eli Willits, is also a shortstop and remains the long-term piece the organization is carefully developing in the minors. Washington selected Willits with the expectation that he could eventually anchor the position for years to come. That timeline creates an interesting dynamic. King could potentially reach the majors sooner, while Willits continues to grow into the player the Nationals believe could one day take over the position full time.

For now, Abrams is still the Nationals’ shortstop. Whether that is still the case when the trade deadline arrives is something the rest of baseball will be watching closely.