CJ Abrams Putting Tons of Pressure on Nationals by Increasing Trade Value

The Washington Nationals star shortstop is increasing his trade value.

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

This offseason, it felt like a given that the Washington Nationals would trade CJ Abrams.

The new front office is focused on getting this rebuild right by improving their farm system. They accomplished that by trading away their ace MacKenzie Gore, and based on all the Hot Stove rumors throughout the winter, moving their star shortstop seemed like the next move that was coming.

However, the Nationals opted to hold onto Abrams, and they reportedly turned down a strong offer from the San Francisco Giants to do so. Washington is currently reaping the benefits of that choice because of how good he has been to start this season. But with him performing like one of the premier shortstops in Major League Baseball, there is now tons of pressure on this front office to get the decision right regarding building around Abrams or trading him.

Trade Value Has Never Been Higher

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Not moving Abrams this past winter was a gamble. While the Nationals were never going to give the star away for something they deemed to be less than his value, there was also a chance that he would struggle to start the year and his value would diminish.

The complete opposite has happened, though. Abrams has been one of the best hitters in baseball. He's slashing .356/.426/.695 through 16 games with six home runs -- which ties him for third across the MLB -- and 19 RBIs -- which is second.

If there was ever a time to trade the 25-year-old, now would be it. Ideally for Washington -- if they go down that route -- he will continue this level of play ahead of the trade deadline where there will likely be tons of suitors lined up to acquire him. That would allow the Nationals to maximize the return they would get and add even more talent to their pipeline.

However, the other side of the coin exists, too. For Washington to come out on the other side of this rebuild in a position to compete for championships, they need high-end players. And right now, it looks like Abrams can be that for them after he's taken his game to another level.

Nationals Could Opt to Extend CJ Abrams as Core Building Block

Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Nationals could look at what Abrams has done to start this season and decide that he's going to be a long-term building block of this franchise going forward. While his defense is never going to be elite or even above average at shortstop -- he's already worth minus-one defensive run saved and minus-one outs above average -- there's no denying what he can do at the plate.

Following three straight years where he's hovered around the .250 batting average mark while hitting 18 or more home runs with 60-plus RBIs, it looks like Abrams is on pace to have his best season as a big leaguer. And with him not entering free agency until after the 2028 campaign, Washington could opt to extend their star and keep him on the team long-term.

That option isn't as likely as trading him, though. The Nationals seem set on getting as many talented prospects as possible to reset this rebuild. And based on how Abrams has played in 2026, it seems like he could bring back a monster return package. But at the very least, his performance is putting pressure on Washington when it comes to this decision. Because Abrams looks like he can be a difference maker for any team he's on going forward, the Nationals included.