Don't expect Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams to be on the move. According to a source familiar with the Nationals' thinking, Washington does not intend to trade Abrams before Monday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline unless a club presents an overwhelming offer.
Abrams is in the midst of a career year, blossoming into the offensive player many around the game believed he could become.
The 25-year-old is slashing .294/.366/.565 with a .932 OPS and 27 home runs, making him the most productive offensive shortstop in baseball. He made his second career All-Star appearance this month in his fifth MLB season.
His 82 RBIs lead the majors, ahead of even American League MVP frontrunner Yordan Alvarez. Abrams also leads the National League in slugging percentage.
Abrams has been better than expected this season, and so have the Nationals. Washington, rebuilding and in the first season under lead executive Paul Toboni, enters play Wednesday at 55-53 and just one game out of the National League's final playoff spot.
Holding onto Abrams at the deadline doesn't necessarily mean he won't be traded during the offseason. That remains a possibility. But with the deadline fast approaching, teams have limited time to evaluate a player of Abrams' caliber and construct the type of package it would take to pry him away from Washington. Coupled with the season Abrams is having, it becomes far more difficult for a club to pull the trigger on a blockbuster move. The Yankees, Brewers and Red Sox are among the teams that have been linked to Abrams.
"Those type of deals can be [very difficult] at this time," said one big-league general manager. "Every situation is different. But, generally, those deals are hard."
What makes it even more difficult is not just the player Abrams has become, but what he has come to mean to both the franchise and the city.
The Nationals know better than most what it's like to part with homegrown stars. Bryce Harper departed in free agency after the 2018 season, and Juan Soto was dealt at the 2022 trade deadline. Washington won the World Series with Soto after Harper left, but since then, the Nationals have not returned to the postseason while Harper has continued to contend in Philadelphia.
Abrams, along with James Wood, arrived in Washington as part of the Juan Soto trade and has emerged as one of the faces of the franchise. Together, the two have become foundational pieces of the Nationals' rebuild and have established a connection with the fanbase. That both are Black players representing a franchise in a city with one of the nation's largest Black populations is not lost on the Nationals' front office. Beyond Abrams' production, that broader connection to the city is among the factors the organization has weighed as it looks at his future.
Nevertheless, if Toboni believes the right deal presents itself this offseason, he won't hesitate to move Abrams.
The Nationals are tied with the Pirates, one game back of the Diamondbacks in the wild-card hunt. They've hovered around .500 for much of the season, exceeding expectations with one of the youngest rosters in baseball despite playing in a division loaded with talent.
Abrams is a huge part of that. And, for now, five days ahead of the trade deadline, it seems likely that he will remain in D.C. this season.
