Bullet point summary by AI
- The New York Yankees should aggressively target Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams ahead of the upcoming MLB trade deadline.
- Current shortstop Anthony Volpe is struggling heavily with a .194 average, while the 25-year-old Abrams boasts a stellar .905 OPS and 14 homers.
- Acquiring Abrams provides a major upgrade to maximize 2026 championship odds while giving Volpe necessary time to reset and save his career.
If the Washington Nationals made CJ Abrams available at the trade deadline, a long list of teams would be gunning for his services. But one team in particular stands out as potentially the best fit of all: The New York Yankees.
Anthony Volpe was supposed to be the Yankees’ shortstop of the future and the comparisons for the young infielder were bold. Instead, he has struggled mightily in four years in the Bronx. He’s hitting .221/.384/.376 with a .660 OPS, 53 home runs and 201 RBI. This season, meanwhile, he’s hitting only .194/.308/.299 with one home run and nine RBI and his 71 OPS+ is easily the worst of his career.
The Yankees should not give up on Volpe. Rather, they should sit him, allow him to collect himself and allow him to reset.
Which is where Abrams comes into play. Abrams is the same age as Volpe, 25, and has produced strong numbers at the major-league level. This season, he’s hitting .287/.378/.526 with a .905 OPS, 14 home runs and 51 RBI. He’s tremendously talented, has the pedigree (he was the No. 6 overall pick in 2019), and he’s controllable until 2029.
Acquiring Abrams would come with a significant acquisition cost. In the winter, the Nationals and Giants had discussions on a deal that would send Abrams to San Francisco, though the price was too high for the Giants, and they pivoted to signing Luis Arraez to play second base. Abrams was not available in the winter, and it’s difficult to see the Nationals making him available this time around too.
Part of Paul Toboni’s motto is to always listen on any player in trade talks. He did the same with MacKenzie Gore and got the Nationals a massive haul, headlined by Gavin Fien, in exchange for the star left-hander. You don’t know what you can get in trade talks unless you listen, and Toboni took full advantage of that in the winter.
So who says Toboni now can’t do the same with Abrams?
My expectation is—despite what will likely be tons of phone calls about Abrams—the Nationals will likely hold onto the young shortstop. He seems like a building block in the organization, someone that they want to hold onto, and they don’t move unless an offer too good to be true is presented to them. But I struggle to see the Yankees being that team considering their affinity with holding onto their high-end prospects.
Not to mention their continued internal belief in Volpe. They have placed a lot on the 25-year-old infielder. They still think he can succeed and play at a high level in the majors. But if the Yankees want to win a championship in 2026, making the call on Abrams—and being willing to surrender a large quantity of prospects—would be the best way to maximize those chances.
The fit makes a ton of sense on paper. They will be connected plenty over the coming weeks and months. I just don’t think it’s the most likely outcome.
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