Nationals Reject Giants’ Trade Interest in CJ Abrams

The San Francisco Giants keep poking around the trade market, searching for long-term answers up the middle. This winter, they took a pretty big swing and missed. Reports say San Francisco made a serious run at Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams but couldn’t get a deal done.

The failed talks show how both teams value young talent, positional fit, and future upside. There’s a lot to unpack there.

Giants Took a Serious Swing at CJ Abrams

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic first reported that the Giants tried to trade for Abrams. He’s one of the more intriguing middle-infielders on the market this offseason.

San Francisco was apparently willing to build a deal around Josuar Gonzalez, their top shortstop prospect. Gonzalez is also one of the youngest players on any Top 100 list, which says a lot about how the Giants see Abrams’ potential.

The full details of the offer never became public. Still, the Giants’ willingness to move Gonzalez hints at just how much they wanted Abrams.

At 25 and with three more arbitration years, Abrams is exactly the kind of controllable, athletic player teams crave.

Why Washington Wasn’t Ready to Deal

From Washington’s side, trading Abrams was always going to be tough. Not long ago, the Nationals sent left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in a deal centered around Gavin Fien.

That trade set a kind of benchmark. Since Abrams has an extra year of control compared to Gore, the price tag goes up even more.

The Nationals have listened to offers, but they want to squeeze out as much value as they can. It sounds like they’re fine holding onto Abrams for now, maybe even into the season.

A Talented Bat With Noticeable Warts

Abrams has shown flashes of being a dynamic top-of-the-order guy. Over the last two seasons, he’s posted a .252/.315/.433 slash line, hit 39 home runs, and stolen 62 bases.

He tends to start seasons hot and even got some All-Star buzz, but he’s faded down the stretch a few times. That’s a little worrying, but his speed and contact skills are real.

When he’s locked in, Abrams can be a spark plug. His power is starting to show up more often too.

Defensive Concerns Shape His Future

Defense is where things get messy. Abrams has committed 39 errors in the last two years and doesn’t grade well in Statcast’s range metrics at shortstop.

Some scouts think he won’t stick at shortstop long-term. For the Giants, though, that didn’t seem like a deal-breaker.

Willy Adames is already locked in at shortstop for San Francisco. They probably saw Abrams as a fit at second base or maybe even center field down the line.

Prospect Valuation Tells the Bigger Story

One of the most interesting parts of these failed talks is how teams value prospects so differently. Gonzalez is just 18 and has played only 52 games in the Dominican Summer League, but he ranks 30th on Baseball America and 44th on MLB Pipeline.

Meanwhile, none of the players Washington got in the Gore trade landed on a public Top 100 list. That gap says a lot about how teams trust their own scouting over public rankings.

Where the Giants Go From Here

After the Abrams pursuit fizzled, the Giants’ offseason feels cautious and unfinished. They’ve tried to shore up the rotation, but a few gaps still stare them down.

• Outfield help remains a priority
• Second base lacks a long-term solution
• A dynamic table-setter is still missing

Missing out on Abrams doesn’t kill San Francisco’s search. It just makes the road ahead a bit narrower. Right now, the Giants wait and watch, hoping the right mix of talent and value finally shows up.

 
Here is the source article for this story: Nationals Rebuffed Giants’ Interest In CJ Abrams