The rumor mill has featured two of the most notable Washington Nationals players.
While MacKenzie Gore has been discussed the most when it comes to a potential trade this offseason, CJ Abrams’ name has been brought up more times than fans were likely expecting.
Most recently, it was Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan of ESPN who discussed the possibility of the shortstop being dealt this winter.
In the insiders’ recent article, they took a look at high-profile players who could be traded. Gore’s name was near the top of their list, and they dropped a nugget that new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has begun to discuss potential deals for the ace.
However, it was interesting to see Abrams on this list and the odds he was given by McDaniel and Passan to actually be traded this offseason.
CJ Abrams Given 35% Chance of Getting Traded
Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
That is a surprisingly high number considering McDaniel and Passan gave Gore a 30% of getting dealt and he has been viewed as a much more likely trade piece than Abrams.
Similarly to Gore, though, this might be the peak value for Abrams. While the rose is off the bloom a bit when it comes to his overall ceiling because of his poor defense, he still has hit well enough during his career to garner some interest around the league.
Toboni could look to use Abrams this offseason to get back key pieces of his rebuild and wait to trade Gore ahead of the deadline when he might be able to maximize the return he gets on the ace even further.
CJ Abrams … TIE BALLGAME 😤 pic.twitter.com/y9WTJ835RE
— MLB (@MLB) July 19, 2025
However, McDaniel and Passan put a bit of a cooler on the notion that Abrams will get traded away, even despite the fact they gave it a 35% chance.
“Abrams made his first All-Star team in 2024 and followed with a nearly identical 2025. And at just 25, he’s in his prime. So why isn’t he higher on this list? His defense at shortstop is not good, and the Nationals — with a dearth of quality big league players — will not trade one to teams unwilling to pay a premium for his age, position and control,” the insiders wrote.
It makes sense why Washington would be looking for a monster return if they were to trade Abrams. Not only has he entered his prime like mentioned above, but the Nationals also don’t necessarily have anyone waiting to take over at shortstop in the immediate who would be more impactful than their current star.
If Abrams was dealt, then Nasim Nunez would likely take over that position. There are major question marks about Nunez’s ability to hit consistently at the big league level, even if his defense would be a major upgrade over what Abrams has provided.
E6 • CJ Abrams • 4th error of the season
Washington Nationals errors on the season: 27
0️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣5️⃣/2️⃣5️⃣pic.twitter.com/3zloQlBgNK
— MLB Errors (@errorsmlb) May 31, 2025
Plus, the multiple star prospects in Washington’s pipeline who are seen as future shortstops are years away from reaching the bigs, as Eli Willits, Seaver King, Luke Dickerson, Coy James and others all have a ways to go before they are ready for the majors.
All of that makes it feel unlikely that Abrams will actually get moved this offseason, which is why the 35% chance given by those two prominent insiders was notable. If Abrams is officially put on the trade block this winter, then there’s a good chance multiple teams will give the Nationals a call and see what it would take to land him.
Will that result in him actually getting dealt? Only time will tell.
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