Yesterday, MacKenzie Gore became the first piece of the Juan Soto deal to be traded away from the Nats. However, there is a decent chance he will not be the last. As the Gore trade was finalized, rumblings about the Nats dealing CJ Abrams emerged.
The Washington Post reported that the Nats have been shopping Abrams, as well as defensive ace Jacob Young this offseason. This lines up with reporting earlier this offseason that there was interest in Abrams around the league. In December, Ken Rosenthal reported that Abrams was drawing heavy interest.
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However, Paul Toboni’s tone has always been a bit different with Abrams than it was with Gore. Throughout the offseason, Toboni acknowledged that the team was actively listening with Gore. When discussing Abrams, he said the team was picking up the phone, but there has been a subtext that they would really need to be blown away to move him.
That stance was on display today when Toboni talked to Grant and Danny on 106.7. He said that he would pick up the phone, but that he sees Abrams as his shortstop. Toboni was never that committal towards Gore, which tells me something.
This is not to say he won’t be traded. There is a chance that we wake up in a couple days and Abrams is on a different team. After all, my feel for these things is not great. Yesterday, I wrote about how a Gore trade felt less likely than ever, and hours later he was dealt. You just never know with these things, but throughout the offseason, I thought a Gore trade was more likely than an Abrams move.
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If Abrams gets moved, I feel like the deadline might be a better time. With three years of team control remaining, the Nats should be in absolutely no hurry to move Abrams. They should only move him if they feel like they are getting surplus value in the trade.
The deadline honestly feels like a better time to get that surplus value. There are teams that feel confident in their infield situation right now that could not feel so confident as things play out in the season. The Red Sox, Yankees and Royals are three teams that this could apply to. If Anthony Volpe continues to struggle in the Bronx, the Yankees would have a pretty glaring hole at shortstop that Abrams could address.
You can never count anything out with Toboni though. If you asked me to name five teams that Gore could be traded to, I am not sure the Rangers would be on the list and if it was, they would have been 4th or 5th on the list. Teams like the Yankees, Orioles, Cubs and even the A’s were speculated about more.
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When you think about it though, the Rangers needed a younger number 3 starter behind Degrom and Eovaldi, so the fit made sense. Could there be a team like that for Abrams? The Mariners have been an AL West team that has been oddly quiet lately. Could they be a player for Abrams if they cannot land Brandon Donovan from the Cardinals? I think it is possible.
At the end of the day, if a deal happens, I think it is more likely to take place at the deadline or next offseason. Unlike Gore, the service time clock is not really ticking for Abrams yet. They could hold on to Abrams and still get the same type of package in a few months. The new player development is also probably eager to get their hands on a talent like him.
The Scott Boras factor that existed with Gore is also not there with Abrams. If they really pushed, they could get Abrams extended. It is unclear if they want to do that, but it is a possibility. I hope they at least give it a shot because Abrams is a very exciting message and it would be a good message to send to the fans. Given recent history, Nats fans probably shouldn’t get too attached to Abrams though.
