CJ Abrams is absolutely crushing it this season for the Washington Nationals, hitting a mind-blowing .297 with 27 homers, 17 steals, and an MLB-leading 82 RBIs. This dude is a certified phenom, posting a 4.3 WAR according to Baseball Reference, and he’s already a two-time All-Star. The New York Yankees are desperate for a shortstop upgrade before the August 3 MLB trade deadline, and Abrams would be an absolute home run pickup for them. The catch? He ain’t coming cheap, not even close.
The “Shortstop of the Future” Tax Is Real
The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner floated the idea that the Yankees could offer up pitchers Will Warren, Elmer Rodriguez, and Chase Hampton to land Abrams. Sounds like a decent package, right? Nope, not even close, according to Kirschner’s colleague, Jim Bowden. Bowden straight up says that offer isn’t enough. For the Nationals to even consider moving Abrams, the conversation would have to *start* with the Yankees’ own phenom, George Lombard, plus Will Warren. Lombard is basically viewed as the Yankees’ shortstop of the future, so putting him in any deal is a massive gut check for them.
A Bold, Expensive Bet
The Nationals know what they have in Abrams, even if they haven’t been able to lock him down long-term. That’s why they’re listening to offers, but they aren’t going to give him away. This creates a wild scenario for the Yankees: do they give up their future at shortstop for an established superstar right now? Bowden noted that if the Yankees were going to trade Lombard, it would make sense to do it for a more established shortstop. The thought is if they could then extend Abrams, their shortstop problem would be completely solved for years to come. It’s a bold move, and it’s definitely expensive, but man, it could turn out to be totally worth it. That August 3 trade deadline is coming fast, and the decision on Lombard’s future is looming large.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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