Pirates Named Potential Trade Spot for Nationals Shortstop
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates could use a better bat in their lineup, as they head into a crucial 2026 campaign with a poor offense.
Pittsburgh hasn't added a significant free agent so far, missing out on the likes of Kyle Schwarber and Josh Naylor, both of whom bring power and prestige to any lineup.
The Pirates were the worst power hitting teams in baseball and desperately need a bat that can deliver home runs consistently.
One player that isn't a free agent that might be able to do that is Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams
Why Trading for CJ Abrams Makes Sense for the Pirates
Abrams is one of the better hitting, young infielders in baseball, who brings the power that the Pirates need and is a left-handed bat, a target for them this offseason.
He hit 19 home runs in 2025, 20 home runs the season before in 2024 and 18 home runs in 2023. His home runs would've ranked second on the Pirates last season behind Oneil Cruz at 20 home runs and third the previous two seasons.
Abrams also would've ranked third each of the past three seasons on the Pirates in RBI, second in hits in 2025 and 2023 and third in 2024, as well as second in doubles in 2025 and third in 2024.
Season | Hits | Doubles | Home Runs | RBI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | 138 | 28 | 18 | 64 |
2024 | 133 | 29 | 20 | 65 |
2025 | 149 | 35 | 19 | 60 |
He has also maintained a solid slash line, with it virtually the same over the past three seasons.
Abrams would've led the Pirates in batting average this season and ranked third in both 2024 and 2023, his on-base percentage would've ranked third best in 2025 and fourth in both 2024 and 2023, while his slugging percentage and OPS would've both ranked as the best in 2025 and third best in 2024.
Season | Batting Average | On-Base Percentage | Slugging Percentage | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2023 | .245 | .300 | .412 | .712 |
2024 | .246 | .314 | .433 | .747 |
2025 | .257 | .315 | .433 | .748 |
Abrams also just entered into arbitration, which would give the Pirates three years of team control at a reasonable price before he hits free agency after the 2028 season.
Where Abrams also excels is on the basepaths, with great speed and a knack for stealing bases.
He stole a career-high 47 bases on 51 attempts in 2023, then stole 31 bases each in 2024 and 2025. He was more successful this past season, doing so on 34 attempts, than he was in 2024, on 42 attempts.
This makes him a great candidate for scoring more runs for the Pirates, who ranked dead last in 2025 with 583 runs, less than the Colorado Rockies, who finished 43-119.
The combination of his hitting, speed and youth make for a solid addition for the Pirates, but not one that comes at an easy price.
Would the Pirates Trade for CJ Abrams?
There's no report that the Pirates have targeted Abrams in a trade, so no movement so far towards making that happen.
Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN ranked Abrams as their 12th best player that could get traded this offseason and see the Pirates as a main fit.
Abrams does have one big area where he struggles in and that is fielding, where he's been the worst defensive shortstop in baseball the past three seasons at -31 defensive runs saved.
The Pirates could place Abrams at designated hitter, where they don't have a plan yet, with the future of Andrew McCutchen returning in 2026 unknown.
McDaniel and Passan also see Abrams potentially working out in center field, but the Pirates already moved Cruz out there from shortstop at the end of 2024. They could still do that and move Cruz to designated hitter instead, where he focuses on his hitting and finding his power again in 2026.
The Pirates are targeting left-handed bats by trade, including with their rival in the St. Louis Cardinals in Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman.
Pittsburgh has also looked at left-handed hitting second baseman in Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets and Brandon Lowe of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Nationals will also want a big return for Abrams, who has team control and who they landed in the massive Juan Soto trade with the San Diego Padres on Aug. 2, 2022.
Pittsburgh could do this trade, but they must be willing to part with some solid prospects, especially amongst the pitching ranks, to do so.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.