The Washington Nationals may not be lighting up the standings this season, but they've already got one thing going for them: they're ahead of the struggling New York Mets. While the Mets are likely to hold onto their roster at the trade deadline, hoping to turn things around, the Nationals are expected to take a different approach—one that involves dealing from their MLB roster to stockpile more prospects.
That's why a recent poll of 20 MLB executives, conducted by MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, came as no surprise. Once again, Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams was named one of the top-three most likely trade deadline candidates this year. After being the subject of trade rumors all offseason, Abrams landing on this list feels like the natural next step.
In the poll, Abrams received three votes, tying him with Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan and trailing only Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara, who led the pack. For a young player with All-Star potential, that kind of buzz is hard to ignore.
Abrams is expected to draw heavy interest from teams looking to boost their infield offense. His defense may raise some eyebrows—one NL executive noted, "His defense isn't great, but it's probably better than the metrics suggest. If he keeps hitting the way he has this year, the bat could make up for any defensive deficiencies." And right now, that bat is doing plenty of talking.
Through the early part of the season, Abrams is hitting .288 with eight home runs and 32 hits in 111 at-bats. His .941 OPS is elite, marking the best offensive stretch of his young career. For a Nationals team in rebuild mode, that kind of production is a valuable trade chip—especially if there are concerns about whether he can sustain it. His career OPS+ of 106 pales in comparison to this year's blistering 165, making now the perfect time for Washington to cash in.
Whether Abrams stays or goes, one thing is clear: his name will be at the center of trade chatter as the deadline approaches. For Nationals fans, it's a storyline worth watching—and for the right team, he could be the missing piece to a playoff push.