Nationals Not Ruling Out CJ Abrams Remaining Their Shortstop in 2027
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One of the main storylines surrounding the Washington Nationals coming down the final stretch of the 2026 season was the fact that they were ready to move CJ Abrams out of the starting shortstop role.
Following another year where he was one of the worst defenders in the sport, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni and manager Blake Butera made the decision that they wanted to see what Abrams could do at second base. That came after he was the starting shortstop for the National League squad in the All-Star Game. And because there are massive financial implications surrounding that move, it was met with resistance from Abrams and his camp.
An injury to Abrams stalled the move, and it limited the number of reps he received at second base. Now, after the Nationals were seemingly ready to make what many would consider to be the most beneficial move for their long-term future, it sounds like they are not prepared to rule out Abrams continuing to be the team's shortstop next year.
CJ Abrams Could Be Nationals' Starting Shortstop in 2027
"We're going to see what [Abrams] looks like in Spring Training," Butera said, per MLB.com. "I think what he's shown us at second base, he's been unbelievable over there. But he's also been unbelievable at shortstop since we had that conversation, right? So I think that he's absolutely earned an opportunity to continue to work at that this offseason. And if he plays shortstop the way that he did these last, whatever it is, six weeks or so, that's a good shortstop."
That comment could just be lip service by Toboni, or it could be a tell into how they'll approach things ahead of next season.
If Washington doesn't trade Abrams for a king's ransom this winter -- which is something that can't be ruled out based on what this front office has already shown during their limited time on the job -- then the two-time All-Star will be a key part of the team in 2027. And it sounds like if he shows even some sort of improvement at shortstop before the start of next season, then the Nationals could just decide to keep him at the most important defensive spot on the infield despite the struggles he's had over the course of his career.
To Toboni's point, there was defensive growth from the 26-year-old to finish the 2026 campaign. From Aug. 17 to the end of September -- roughly the six weeks that Toboni referenced -- Abrams had a Fielding Run Value of zero across 105 innings at short and 103 at second base. Compared to his minus-12 FRV that he accrued over the entirety of the season, that truly is a massive step forward.
I still firmly believe that Washington's best chance for success with Abrams on the roster is for him to play second base. In 2027, that would mean current No. 3-ranked prospect Seaver King would man shortstop before the team's top-ranked prospect Eli Willits takes over for the long haul whenever he's ready to arrive in The Show.
I think Toboni sees it that way, too. And the majority of Abrams' reps for the Nationals will come at second base next season.
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Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he worked at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad became the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continued to cover Penn State athletics. Currently, Brad is the Publisher for Washington Nationals On SI and covers multiple teams across the On SI network. He is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, where he and his co-host discuss topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai