Four Big-Name Teams Connected to Nationals Star CJ Abrams in Possible Trade
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Things have been quiet on the CJ Abrams front when it comes to a possible trade. But that doesn't mean the Washington Nationals star shortstop couldn't be moved at some point.
Following the blockbuster deal that sent MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers, at least one team wasted no time trying to pry Abrams out of the nation's capital. But despite a clear intent to further this rebuild, president of baseball operations Paul Toboni turned down an offer from the San Francisco Giants, which keeps Abrams on the roster for now.
If something is going to get done, a massive offer will have to be presented to the Nationals. And according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required), the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners are four teams to keep an eye on.
Which Team Is Best Suited to Land CJ Abrams?
Knowing that it's going to take high-end prospect capital to land Abrams, looking at the latest farm system rankings put together by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN at least gives some insight into which of those four teams might have the ammunition to acquire the 25-year-old.
The Mariners and Red Sox lead the way in that regard. And it's also notable that Washington and Seattle already worked together to get a trade done earlier in the offseason and Toboni still has relationships in Boston since that was his previous team.
ESPN ranks the Mariners' farm system at No. 7. They have five top 100 prospects, including left-handed pitcher Kade Anderson, who was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft. He's a bit more ready-made than other pitching prospects since he played in college, so he could be a real option for the Nationals to build a package around if they are interested in moving Abrams.
LSU WINS GAME 1 OF THE MCWS FINALS 🐯
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Similarly, the Red Sox are top-heavy when it comes to pitching in their farm system. Four of their five top 100 guys are pitchers. Adding a few different arms could be a way for Washington to improve that unit for the present and future if Boston makes an aggressive enough offer.
Just based on farm system rankings, the Yankees and Padres have very little chance of landing Abrams unless they include some young talent from their major league rosters. New York's pipeline is ranked No. 23 by ESPN and San Diego comes in at No. 30.
It will be interesting to see if other teams jump into the Abrams sweepstakes or if one of these four teams that Bowden mentioned can land him. The Giants already tried and failed once, but they could also get back into the mix if they improve their offer.
Either way -- just like with Gore -- until something gets done one way or another, then this will be something to keep an eye on.
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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