Former MLB General Manager Urges Red Sox to Trade for Nationals Star

Should the Washington Nationals consider trading CJ Abrams?

Washington Nationals logo | Scott Taetsch-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals don't seem to have a major move up their sleeve when it comes to free agency despite a bevy of starting pitchers still remaining on the market.

However, there is still a possibility that a trade could happen that would shake things up on their roster. And following the blockbuster deal that sent MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers, all eyes are on what they are going to do with CJ Abrams.

President of baseball operations Paul Toboni made it clear that he's not actively shopping Abrams or center fielder Jacob Young. That was further proven when the new Nationals executive turned down an offer for the star shortstop.

But for teams looking to add young infield talent with multiple years of club control remaining, Abrams is going to be a target. And that prompted former MLB general manager Steve Phillips to implore the Boston Red Sox to acquire the 25-year-old from Washington.

"PIVOT!" - @StevePhillipsGM to the @RedSox (probably).

🔗 https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/Irqx63Smj2

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 3, 2026

"The Red Sox need to pivot, call the Nationals, Paul Toboni, who left Boston, and go get CJ Abrams to play second base. That's the move for the Boston Red Sox," Phillips said on MLB Network Radio. "He'll be a great second baseman. He's a bad shortstop. ... That's the move they need to make right now."

The connection between Toboni and the Red Sox has been something many analysts have pointed to when it comes to something getting done between the two teams this winter. Originally, it was thought that Boston would be the top landing spot for Gore. But they went in a different direction.

Instead, the lone trade worked out between the Red Sox and Nationals was a prospect-for-prospect deal where Washington acquired high-upside pitcher Luis Perales in exchange for high-floor pitcher Jake Bennett.

Which Prospects Nationals Might Want in Potential CJ Abrams Trade

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

Toboni has made it clear it's going to be expensive to acquire Abrams. So when looking at what Boston has in their farm system, it seems like it's going to take some of their their best prospects to land Abrams if that's the direction they want to go in.

Second- and fourth-ranked prospects Payton Tolle and Connelly Early seem like logical places to start. Tolle and Early, both left-handed pitchers who appeared in the bigs last season, are ranked in the top 100 by MLB Pipeline. Those major league-ready arms would be a huge boost for the Nationals as they look to bolster their pitching staff.

Connelly Early's first 9 MLB innings:
0 R
16 K pic.twitter.com/p1IT03p1nZ

— MLB (@MLB) September 16, 2025

Toboni could also take a similar approach that he did with Gore and target multiple younger prospects, which could bring third-ranked Kyson Witherspoon, ninth-ranked Marcus Phillips and 10th-ranked Anthony Eyanson -- all pitchers selected in the 2025 draft -- into play.

However, it should be noted that the Red Sox agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa on Wednesday. They could view his addition as solving their needs across the infield since he's a versatile defender.

Still, for a team like Boston that has been aggressive this winter in hopes they can get back into contention, making a move for Abrams would help them achieve that goal. And at least one former GM believes that's what the Red Sox should do before the upcoming season gets underway.