Nationals players CJ Abrams, center, and MacKenzie Gore, left, are drawing trade interest this winter. Mark Goldman / Icon Sportswire via Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Washington Nationals aren’t simply drawing heavy interest in left-hander MacKenzie Gore. They are also getting pushed aggressively on shortstop CJ Abrams, according to people familiar with their discussions.
The Nationals are open to conversations on both players, but the bar is high, league sources told The Athletic on Monday.
Abrams, 25, stands out as an intriguing option for clubs given the lack of shortstops available via free agency. Abrams is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to make $5.6 million in 2026, with two more years of arbitration after that before becoming a free agent. Bo Bichette and Ha-Seong Kim are the top free-agent shortstops available, but there’s a significant drop-off after that, and some clubs see Bichette as more of a second baseman or third baseman at this point.
Abrams had his best offensive season in 2025, hitting 19 home runs with a .748 OPS. He also stole 31 bases and was caught just three times.
Gore, 26, has attracted interest from more than half the league, The Athletic previously reported. He is projected to make $4.7 million in 2026 with one more year of arbitration after that. In 30 starts and 159 2/3 innings last season, Gore produced a 4.17 ERA with 185 strikeouts.
Abrams and Gore were significant pieces of the Nationals/Padres deadline trade executed by their former top baseball decision-maker, Mike Rizzo, that sent Juan Soto and Josh Bell to San Diego in August 2022.
Recently, the Nationals pulled off their first trade under new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni, flipping left-handed reliever Jose A. Ferrer to the Seattle Mariners for top catching prospect Harry Ford and minor league pitcher Isaac Lyon.
They may be just getting started.