Bleacher Report Walk-off just recently proposed a mock trade that would have the Minnesota Twins acquire shortstop CJ Abrams from the Washington Nationals in exchange for top prospect Walker Jenkins.
Minnesota is coming off of a down year where the front office decided to sell at the deadline, rather than buy. By trading away key players like Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Harrison Bader Griffin Jax and others, the front office signaled that their goal was to try and capitalize on their top talent to rebuild the farm, rather than contend for a World Series.
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Finishing with a 70-92 record, Minnesota had low expectations coming into the offseason, with several players circulating trade rumors — one of those players being starting pitcher Joe Ryan. Although Ryan has yet to be traded (and is looking likely to stay in Minnesota), this team could make a few significant moves to rebuild the identity of their ball club. One of those significant moves would be acquiring CJ Abrams from Washington for top outfield prospect Walker Jenkins.
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Abrams (25) is one of the more polarizing shortstops in the MLB due to his high upside as a defender and baserunner. However, Abrams has taken a lead to where he is considered a major threat in the box. Last season, the shortstop had a slash line of .257/.315/.433 with 19 homers and a 3.3 WAR. Abrams is a serious threat on the base paths, as his 109 stolen bases since the start of 2023 is the sixth highest mark in the major leagues.
Abrams would cost Minnesota an arm and a leg, as his on field production and three years of team control is extremely costly for other teams. But luckily for Minnesota, they may have a single arm that could get this deal done.
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Outfielder Walker Jenkins is the top prospect in Minnesota’s farm system and the 10th best prospect in the minors, according to MILB’s top prospects list.
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The 20 year old lefty has some serious upside to be a five-tool player in the major leagues. Jenkins possesses a 60 grade hit tool, 60 grade power, 55 grade run, 60 grade arm talent and 55 grade in the field. The young outfielder dominated the minor leagues this past year with an .850 OPS in 84 games played, spanning from rookie ball all the way to Triple-A.
There’s no doubt that Jenkins has the value to make Washington bite on this offer, but would this roster shakeup fit Minnesota’s timeline?