Nationals Rebuffed Interest From Giants In CJ Abrams

The Giants made an unsuccessful push to acquire CJ Abrams from the Nationals, reports Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. It’s not clear precisely what package San Francisco would have put together, though Baggarly adds that they were open to building the deal around top shortstop prospect Josuar Gonzalez.

Washington traded MacKenzie Gore to the Rangers for a five-player package led by last year’s first-rounder Gavin Fien. The Washington Post reported they’ve been shopping Abrams as well, albeit with potentially a loftier ask than they had on Gore. Abrams is under arbitration control for three seasons compared to Gore’s two.

In each of the past two seasons, Abrams has been an excellent hitter through the All-Star Break before tailing off in the second half. He has been a little better than average overall, hitting .252/.315/.433 in more than 1200 plate appearances over the past two years. Abrams has 39 homers and 62 stolen bases with slightly lower than average strikeout and walk marks in that time. He’s an above-average regular who has an All-Star level ceiling that he has yet to consistently reach.

Abrams gives back some of the value with the glove. He’s one of the weaker shortstops in MLB and trails only Elly De La Cruz with 39 errors over the past two seasons. They’ve mostly been of the throwing variety, yet Statcast hasn’t looked favorably upon his range either. Abrams would project better at second base or potentially in center field. He has been a full-time shortstop on a Washington team that has probably had the worst all-around infield defense in the majors.

Despite the drawbacks, Abrams should have substantial appeal on the trade market. He’s a 25-year-old plus athlete who fits somewhere in the middle of the diamond. He’s a former sixth overall pick and top prospect who has stretches where he’s an excellent table-setter in one of the top two lineup spots. The Giants surely would have moved him to second rather than playing him at shortstop over Willy Adames.

Gonzalez respectively placed 30th and 44th on updated Top 100 prospect lists from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline this week. None of the players whom the Nationals acquired for Gore landed on either list. It seems fair to assume Washington’s evaluators rate Fien more highly than those outlets do. They probably would not have traded two years of Gore’s arbitration window if they didn’t feel they were getting a Top 100 caliber talent.

It’s also possible they’re simply not as high on Gonzalez as some others. It’s common for clubs to have differing opinions on prospects. That’s especially true for someone like Gonzalez, an 18-year-old whose professional experience consists of 52 games in the Dominican Summer League. Teams don’t have much of a statistical track record with which to work, so evaluations for players that far from MLB readiness are weighted very heavily towards their individual scouts.

In any case, Baggarly’s report certainly doesn’t push back against the idea that the Nationals could demand more for Abrams than they had for Gore. The report suggests that while the Giants aren’t interested in trading their top prospect, rookie first baseman Bryce Eldridge, they discussed most of their other high-end talents with Washington. Eldridge and Gonzalez are San Francisco’s only Top 100 prospects at MLB Pipeline. Baseball America had outfielder Bo Davidson and infielder Jhonny Level in the back quarter of their list. Baggarly’s piece has more specifics on the prospects who surfaced in conversations, and Giants fans are encouraged to give it a full read.

Abrams would have been the prize of a quiet San Francisco offseason to date. They opted for floor over ceiling with their rotation signings of Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser. They’ve done nothing to address a lackluster outfield (especially in right), nor have they come away with their desired upgrade over Casey Schmitt at second base. He’s a passable regular but fits better as a high-end utility infielder. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported last week that the Giants were looking for a significant second base move on the trade front.

San Francisco has been linked to Brendan Donovan and Nico Hoerner at various points throughout the offseason. Neither player has been traded. Donovan still seems likelier than not to move — certainly before the trade deadline if not by Opening Day — while the Cubs should be reluctant to deal Hoerner. Abrams is still available as well, although it’s not clear if those teams intend to reengage.