Nationals Reportedly Turned Down 'Aggressive Pitch' From Giants for CJ Abrams
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The first piece of the vaunted Juan Soto return package the Washington Nationals got back in 2022 is officially no longer with the franchise.
After a long wait during an offseason that was filled with speculation, rumors and even some belief that MacKenzie Gore might actually get held onto and be the team's ace on Opening Day, the Nationals traded him to the Texas Rangers and received five prospects back in return.
Naturally, that led to some speculation that another coveted trade chip -- CJ Abrams -- could be on the move, as well, since he was someone teams inquired about throughout the winter. And according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic (subscription required), the San Francisco Giants wasted little time trying to pry Abrams out of the nation's capital with what the insider deemed to be an "aggressive offer."
Giants Wanted to Build Package Around High-Ceiling Prospect Josuar Gonzalez
"With their options thinning out and just two weeks remaining before players report to spring training, the San Francisco Giants recently turned up the aggression to get something done on the trade market. According to major-league sources, they signaled their openness to include highly regarded teenage shortstop prospect Josuar Gonzalez in a package for Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams," Baggarly wrote.
He also added that, according to sources, left-handed pitchers Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were discussed. And so was outfielder Bo Davidson and shortstop Jhonny Level, who both are considered top 100 prospects by Baseball America in their latest rankings.
Per MLB Pipeline, Josuar Gonzalez is ranked No. 2 in the Giants' farm system, Level is No. 4, Davidson is No. 5, Whisenhunt is No. 7 and Bresnahan is No. 11. It's not clear if San Francisco was willing to include all five of these players in an offer for Abrams or not and that's why talks stalled out. But if this was the offer, then it's safe to call that aggressive.
The Josuar Gonzalez buzz 📈
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) January 15, 2026
Giants Top 30 prospects for 2026: https://t.co/uhNMX4Kk7r pic.twitter.com/drPyfdS8b0
Whatever was the official offer, Washington's president of baseball operations Paul Toboni clearly didn't think it was worth moving Abrams for that return package considering he turned it down. And that's something that should excite Nationals fans when it comes to their new executive.
While there are evaluators and rival executives out there who think the Rangers got the better end of the deal for Gore, it's clear Toboni has a process when it comes to anything related to a trade and what value he wants in return.
This also signals he's not looking to tear things completely down, either. If he can get the best deal possible for players that will help the future of the franchise, then he's going to do that. But turning down the Giants' offer is a sign he's not looking to rebuild just to rebuild again, which should be the other thing fans in the nation's capital are excited about when it comes to this new regime.
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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