The Washington Nationals don’t seem poised to make a major addition to their major league roster before the start of spring training. But that doesn’t mean they still can’t make a splash.
After trading MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers, there were plenty of people out there who thought star shortstop CJ Abrams would be the next one dealt this offseason. The San Francisco Giants wasted little time trying to make that happen. But their offer was turned down and Abrams is still in the nation’s capital.
President of baseball operations Paul Toboni says he outright told his shortstop that he is not being actively shopped. However, Toboni did also say there’s a chance a trade could happen if a good enough offer is presented.
So, with that in mind, David Schoenfield of ESPN put together some trade ideas. And one of them had Abrams getting shipped to the Atlanta Braves for a promising return package.
Trade Proposal Has Nationals Getting High-Floor Return From Braves for CJ Abrams
CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
In Schoenfield’s proposal, he has the Braves sending left-handed pitcher Cam Caminiti, right-handed pitcher Didier Fuentes and infielder Nacho Alvarez Jr. to the Nationals in exchange for Abrams.
Caminiti is ranked No. 1 in Atlanta’s farm system, per MLB Pipeline. Selected 24th overall in the 2024 draft, the 19-year-old has posted a 3.08 ERA across 18 minor league starts with 94 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. Fuentes currently ranks No. 7 in the Braves’ pipeline. And last season, the 20-year-old reached the bigs for the first time and made four starts. Alvarez is an MLB-ready player who could help replace Abrams. He also was a former top 10 prospect at his peak.
This return is much different than what Washington received in their Gore deal. It’s a high-floor package with two ready-made MLB players and another star prospect who looks like he’s going to at least be a rotation piece at some point during his career.
First of many in the strikeout column for @Braves 2024 first-rounder Cam Caminiti!@GreenJackets | @CamCaminiti pic.twitter.com/VcmJB2xA1G
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) August 31, 2024
It’s unclear if this is the type of return Toboni is looking for if he were to trade Abrams. While it’s not known exactly what was offered by the Giants, plenty of elite prospects were discussed between the two sides that would have boosted this Nationals farm system even further.
Adding long-term pieces seems to be the preferred approach by Washington as they attempt to get their rebuild back on track. So what was proposed by Schoenfield doesn’t seem to match what this new regime would be looking for if they were to trade Abrams.
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