The Washington Nationals are technically in the NL Wild Card hunt at 31-32, with more than enough offensive firepower to stick around late into the season. Realistically, however, this is a team in the middle stages of a rebuild. The Nats aren't built to compete with the true powerhouses yet.
CJ Abrams' name was a hot topic in offseason trade rumors. As the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline creeps closer, the Nationals could revisit those conversations. Now is a prime opportunity to sell high on the 25-year-old, who's enjoying a breakthrough season at the plate.
ESPN's Jeff Passan offered insight on the decision facing Washington:
"As tempting as it might be for the Nationals to trade Abrams seemingly at his peak — especially considering shortstop is a weak link for so many contenders... it would take an overwhelming offer for Washington to consider it," he writes. "At the same time, Eli Willits — the No. 1 pick in last year's draft -— looks as if he's going to move through the system very quickly, and with the previous year's first-round pick, Seaver King, at Triple-A and on the doorstep, a ready-made replacement is there."
Here are potential landing spots for the All-Star shortstop if the Nats are willing:
Atlanta Braves
Washington ought to think twice about dealing Abrams in the division, but Atlanta has a need — and the minor league depth, particularly at pitcher, to pique the Nationals' interest.
Jorge Mateo has blown past expectations with an .845 OPS and 136 wRC+ so far this season, but six years of middling MLB production tells us to remain skeptical. The Braves also paid Ha-seong Kim last offseason, but he has struggled immensely in limited plate appearances since his return from injury.
Abrams is a potential long-term solution at shortstop — or for 2.5 years, at least. The Braves can also potentially bump him to second base, where he's less vulnerable on defense, if Ozzie Albies leaves as a free agent next winter. Matt Olson and Michael Harris are the only left-handed bats in Atlanta's lineup that are reliable, non-platoon types.
The Braves are the best team in baseball, but stockpiling talent to combat Los Angeles in October is a necessity.
Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee has surged to the top of the NL Central standings (again), but the Brewers can always use more slugging in the middle of the order. Moreover, shortstop and third base are the primary areas of weakness in the current Brewers lineup. David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo just aren't cutting it. Same for Joey Ortiz, in whom faith is waning.
The Brewers won't need to wait too much longer on No. 1 MLB prospect Jesús Made, but if Abrams' long-term home is third base, that may honestly fit his defensive profile better. Abrams is a huge help in the interim and he's arbitration-eligible for the next two years, which means he's cost-controlled for three potential postseason runs before Milwaukee risks losing Abrams to free agency.
Abrams can replace Christian Yelich in the leadoff spot, giving the Brewers another valuable speed element, in addition to the slugging numbers. Milwaukee runs the bases and executes on a fundamental level better than just about every other MLB team. The Brewers would be the perfect ecosystem for Abrams to sand the rough edges of his profile and further come into his stardom, all with a clear path to World Series contention.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay is another low-budget contender in a very similar vein to Milwaukee, with a smart front office that always locates market inefficiencies and nails value on the margins. If the Rays really want to go the distance, however, the lineup will need a bit more oomph.
Junior Caminero, Jonathan Aranda and Yandy DÃaz is a phenomenal trio, but Tampa otherwise lacks serious pop at basically every position. Shortstop is a real area of weakness, as Taylor Walls — despite his value as a defender and a base-runner — is among the worst qualified hitters in the sport. He's in the bottom percentile for expected average (.172) and slugging (.223), not to mention hard-hit rate (16.5 percent).
Abrams' affordable contract situation means Tampa can plug him into the lineup for a couple years and forget about it — or perhaps set up another lucrative trade in a year or two, with designs on maximizing their current World Series window in 2026. Abrams can fit with the speedy, baton-passing nature of this Rays lineup (.288 with a .381 OBP), but he also provides much-needed home run power as a potential leadoff bat.
New York Yankees
José Caballero (.722 OPS) has done a solid job at shortstop this year for the Yankees, and it does not seem like New York is quite ready to give up on the Anthony Volpe experience (.679 OPS). That said, shortstop was a critical chink in New York's armor last season, and it's a problem that threatens to pop up again as the Yankees look to make up ground in the AL East.
New York fans probably aren't thrilled about the potential defensive issues inherent to playing Abrams at short — especially given Jazz Chisholm's tendency for unforced errors at second base — but talent is talent, and the Yankees' path to an AL pennant is rooted in out-slugging their opponents.
Abrams would fill a relative weak point in the lineup and cement the Yankees as nightmare fuel for right-handed pitchers in particular. New York has its share of lefties in the lineup already between Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, Trent Grisham and, of course, Chisholm, but Abrams has a .733 OPS against southpaws in 2026. He's not a liability in those matchups, and New York has platoon options aplenty when needed.
Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies need to be aggressive in search of quality bats at the trade deadline. In a perfect world, Philadelphia would add an elite right-handed hitter, but Abrams would suffice.
Washington is often referred to, mockingly, as a Phillies feeder system. That could give the Nats hesitance to trade with a division rival. If Dave Dombrowski comes with a strong enough offer, though, the Nats will need to consider their options. Philadelphia does not boast the strongest farm system, but a high enough volume of prospects could allow D.C. take multiple worthwhile swings on long-term player development.
Abrams would probably move to third base in this scenario, replacing Alec Bohm, who has struggled to elevate and drive the baseball all season long. He won't necessarily fix Philadelphia's league-worst defense, but for a team with precious few dependable bats beyond Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, Abrams' unique blend of contact metrics, home run thump and rubber-burning speed would be a massive boon.
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