Making This Seismic Change Could Transform the Nationals Going Forward

The Washington Nationals should seriously consider this.

Washington Nationals infielders CJ Abrams and Nasim Nunez | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Success on the field in 2026 isn't what the Washington Nationals are focused on.

While that would be a plus -- and it hopefully would create some fan interest after that has waned following the decision to rebuild after winning the World Series in 2019 -- what this new regime is concentrated on is setting up this franchise to succeed for the long term.

Constructing a flourishing farm system is at the top of their to-do list. That was one of the reasons why they decided to ship MacKenzie Gore out of town this past winter for a return package that brought in five top 30 prospects. It's also why CJ Abrams continues to be seen as a possible trade chip. But with the way their star shortstop has performed this season, dealing him is going to be a hard -- and perhaps unpopular -- decision. That's why the Nationals should seriously consider this seismic change that could transform everything when it comes to their future.

Move CJ Abrams Out of Shortstop to Second Base

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The first thing Washington needs to do is move Abrams out of shortstop and to second base. That would put Nasim Nunez at short, which would be the best thing for the Nationals in both the short and long term.

For one, it's clear that Abrams is not a shortstop. He has a been worth a staggering minus-51 outs above average and minus-seven defensive runs saved across more than 4,600 innings at that position. Even with a new coaching staff in place, his defense has not improved. Shifting him over to the keystone would not only help mask his defensive deficiencies, but with Nunez manning shortstop, Washington would have a much better fielding unit as a team.

Per FanGraphs, the Nationals rank No. 25 in the majors in Fielding Run Value with a figure of minus-seven. While Abrams isn't the only poor defender on the team, swapping Abrams and Nunez up the middle would provide an instant defensive bump.

Potential CJ Abrams Extension Could Become Affordable With This Move

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The long-term benefit of shifting Abrams to second base is that he could become affordable for Washington when it comes to extending the 25-year-old star. Because shortstop is more of a premium position than second base, the contracts handed out to those players are much more lucrative. Of course, Abrams and his representation know that, so it might create some issues to move him out of that spot now. However, based on his poor defense at that position, it's unlikely any team around Major League Baseball views him as a permanent fixture at shortstop.

With that in mind, the financial implications are staggering. Four shortstops were given contracts of $300 million or more. Nine total players at that position are playing on deals worth more than $150 millio. And eight have an AAV of over $25 million. In comparison, the two highest paid second basemen, Xander Bogaerts and Marcus Semien, are playing on contracts -- $280 million and $175 million, respectively -- that likely won't be handed out again.

Based on what Abrams has done during his career and the age at which he would hit free agency, his two contract comps are Nico Hoerner and Andres Gimenez. The former signed a six-year, $141 million extension with the Chicago Cubs ahead of this season and the latter inked a seven-year, $106.5 million with the Cleveland Guardians back in 2023. And even though Abrams has been an offensive force compared to those two thus far, his bWAR figure is lower because of his poor defense, which should keep him in that contract range.

Those deals are still expensive when it comes to what Washington has handed out recently, but they pale in comparison to what premium shortstops have received. And because of that, the Nationals might decide it's worth it to keep Abrams on their roster instead of trading him for future parts if both sides can come to a contract extension that is around what was signed by Hoerner and Gimenez.

Star Shortstop Prospects in Nationals Pipeline

The other piece of the puzzle is that Nunez wouldn't be Washington's shortstop forever. There are tons of talented infielders in this pipeline, and at some point, the expectation is that those star prospects will become impact players for the Nationals in the majors.

Seaver King is the first one who could potentially take over as early as 2027. He is tearing up Double-A, so a move to Triple-A Rochester this season is not out of the question. Further down on the farm, there's 2025 No. 1 overall pick Eli Willits, who is expected to be the future at that position. There's also Ronny Cruz, the 19-year-old shortstop who has had a meteoric rise to begin the season after being promoted from Single-A to High-A following his dominating start.

Washington appears to be set up for long-term success with those three in tow. And if they make the decision to shift Abrams over to second base, not only would that create the possibility of him being around for the long-term future, but the Nationals could pair him with another young star up the middle at a premium position.