Nationals trade proposals send CJ Abrams to Red Sox or Braves for top pitching prospects, INF depth originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Washington Nationals have been selling off a lot of their players this offseason, with MacKenzie Gore being dealt to the Texas Rangers for a haul.
Advertisement
Next on the docket for the Nationals? That would be a trade of shortstop CJ Abrams. The All-Star is sure to bring home a strong return for the Nationals if they do part with him.
ESPN’s David Schoenfield proposed two trades for the Nationals in moving on from Abrams this offseason. One is with the Boston Red Sox, while the other is with the Atlanta Braves. The returns are very similar, with two pitching prospects and some infield depth.
Nationals trade proposals include 2 pitching prospects, 1 INF in return for CJ Abrams
Trading Abrams would cost an acquiring team a good amount. He’s an All-Star at one of the most important positions in baseball. He’s also just 25 years old, under club control for three more years, and most importantly, he’s been consistently good the last three years.
Advertisement
Schoenfield’s proposed trade for the Nationals with the Braves looks like this: “Washington Nationals trade SS CJ Abrams to Atlanta Braves for LHP Cam Caminiti, RHP Didier Fuentes, IF Nacho Alvarez.”
That return would be a solid one for Abrams. Alvarez is some decent depth for the Nationals, as he’s a 22-year-old who had a .626 OPS in the Majors last year in 58 games, and a .792 OPS in 278 minor league games since 2022.
But, he’s not the headliner. Caminiti is the Braves’ top prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and the 19-year-old has a 3.08 ERA in 18 starts in the minors. Fuentes is ranked 7th and is 20 years old with a 3.73 ERA in 52 games (48 starts) in the minors.
All-in-all, the Nationals would be getting the Braves 1st and 7th ranked prospect, along with a 22-year-old infielder in return for Abrams. That’s a solid deal for the Nationals.
Advertisement
More:Â MLB Hot Stove tracker: Live updates on news, rumors, signings and trades for 2025 free agency
Schoenfield’s proposed Red Sox trade looks like this: “Nationals trade SS CJ Abrams to Red Sox for LHP Connelly Early, RHP Juan Valera, IF David Hamilton.”
Hamilton is a 28-year-old infielder with four years of control left. He has a .642 career OPS in 204 MLB games and is a good defensive second baseman. But, he’s not the headliner.
Early is the big piece of this proposal. He’s the 4th-ranked Red Sox prospect by MLB Pipeline, and the 23-year-old has already impressed in the Majors with a 2.33 ERA in four starts and 19.1 innings pitched. His 3.32 ERA in 45 games (42 starts) is also impressive.
Advertisement
Valera would also be a nice pick-up for the Nationals. He’s 19 years old and ranked 11th in the Red Sox farm system. His 3.85 ERA in 43 games (27 starts) in the minors isn’t the best, but the promise he’s shown is worth taking a chance on.
Both of these trade proposals from Schoenfield would bring home 2 good pitching prospects and some infield depth for Abrams. While they’re just proposals, these trades would be fun ones for the Nationals to make.
More MLB news: