The Washington Nationals pulled off a surprising trade on Saturday.
Seemingly out of nowhere, they shipped Jose A. Ferrer out of town and landed star catching prospect Harry Ford and Single-A right-handed pitcher Isaac Lyon from the Seattle Mariners. That was an aggressive move by president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, and it’s a good sign about what could happen when it comes to other future trades.
Of course, what this fanbase and almost everyone in the baseball world has their eye on is if the Nationals actually decide to deal their ace MacKenzie Gore. Speculation has run rampant, with multiple insiders now suggesting a trade is almost imminent.
Another player teams around the league are keeping an eye on is the availability of CJ Abrams. For a while, it was unclear if Washington was going to seriously shop their star shortstop. But it seems like they are willing to at least listen to offers.
Nationals Telling Teams to Make Offers for Gore and Abrams
Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
According to MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today, “The Washington Nationals are telling teams to make an offer for starter MacKenzie Gore and shortstop C.J. Abrams …”
The interest in trading Gore is clear. The Nationals have already had conversations with teams regarding the availability of the left-hander, and reportedly over half of the teams across Major League Baseball have some interest in acquiring the ace.
As has been laid out multiple times, the motivation to move Gore now is clear. With two more years of club control remaining, he is still viewed as someone with a high upside even if he hasn’t been elite for a full season during his career. Washington could benefit from that perception and get the maximum return for him at this point in time.
What an #OpeningDay start for MacKenzie Gore:
6 IP
1 H
0 R
0 BB
13 K pic.twitter.com/dL3GsmHrmV
— MLB (@MLB) March 27, 2025
The benefits of trading Abrams are a bit less obvious. While there’s no doubt he could generate a large return in his own right considering he’s in his prime and has started to settle into a consistent offensive range where he hits double-digit home runs with 30-plus steals, the Nationals also don’t have a clear replacement for the shortstop right now since their top prospects at the position are years away from reaching the majors.
Toboni might not be too concerned with that at this stage, though. With the focus being on getting this rebuild back on the right track, getting as many future assets as possible could be how Washington operates this winter.
With that in mind, it’s notable Nightengale reported the Nationals are telling teams to make an offer for Abrams. And based on how quickly they moved Ferrer and what they got back in return in that deal, there’s a chance Washington gets an offer they want to ship the young star out of town.
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