CJ Abrams Seen as Red Sox Trade Target, Here's Who Nationals Should Want in Return

Who should the Washington Nationals want from the Boston Red Sox in a CJ Abrams trade?

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The CJ Abrams trade speculation is not going to go away anytime soon, especially because the Washington Nationals star has been one of the best offensive shortstops in baseball this season.

And since the new regime in place reportedly had the goal of shipping him out of town this past winter, teams around the league might put together an offer that is too good for Paul Toboni to turn down ahead of this year's trade deadline.

With still two months to go until then, the rumor mill is going to feature Abrams plenty. And in the latest bold predictions piece from Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report, he thinks the Boston Red Sox could push to acquire the 25-year-old star, as he wrote, "... if Abrams is available, Boston may well be his next home."

Boston Red Sox Seen as Landing Spot for CJ Abrams

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Miller thinks the Red Sox are going to add to their roster. And with major question marks throughout the infield, bringing in someone like Abrams could give them another cornerstone to build around alongside their young star Roman Anthony.

Seats have to be getting hot in Boston. They already fired World Series-winning manager Alex Cora, and the next one to go could be chief baseball officer Craig Breslow if things don't get turned around based on how disastrous his tenure has been thus far. So if he's feeling the heat, then he might choose to make another big splash and go after Abrams to help in both the short and long term.

The Nationals and Red Sox already made a trade with Toboni leading the front office. Back in mid-December, the two organizations did a rare prospect-for-prospect swap when Washington acquired right-handed pitcher Luis Perales in exchange for left-hander pitcher Jake Bennett. And based on Toboni's history with Boston, the familiarity between the two sides could allow something to get done that features Abrams.

Who Nationals Should Target in Return

Boston Red Sox prospect Kyson Witherspoon | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's unclear exactly what the asking price is for Abrams, but based on the reported offer from the San Francisco Giants that was turned down this offseason, it seems like the Nationals will have to be blown away by the return package.

With that in mind, there are two clear names Washington should have circled: right-handed pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon.

Eyanson was a third-round pick of the 2025 draft. Through nine total starts this season at the High-A and Double-A levels, he has a cumulative ERA of 1.17 with 53 strikeouts to 10 walks across 38 1/3 innings pitched. Ranked No. 2 in the Red Sox's pipeline, he looks like a future star. Witherspoon, who was a first-round pick in the 2025 draft, has struggled this year with a 5.55 ERA through nine starts at High-A. But he is Boston's third-ranked prospect, and he projects to have a high ceiling.

Beyond those two, there are some other intriguing pitching options for the Nationals to target. Juan Valera is a hard-throwing righty who is in the midst of his fourth professional campaign at the age of 20. Ranked No. 5 for the Red Sox, he has a 1.93 ERA through three starts season. 18-year-old rookie ball pitcher Sadbiel Delzine is a potential high-ceiling project, and John Holobetz could be primed to make an impact soon since he already is in Double-A after being taken in the fourth round of the 2024 draft.

Due to Toboni's tenure with Boston, he will be extremely familiar with their farm system. So he probably already has a list of targets he would like to acquire from them if they are able to work out an Abrams deal. But on paper, it seems like Washington should push for either Eyanson or Witherspoon. And if they can get both, that would be a huge win.