Washington Nationals’ President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni shot down speculation that the organization is actively shopping All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams, telling 106.7 The Fan.
“I will give you the cliche response that probably every GM in every sport gives — we’d be dumb not to listen, right?” Toboni said during the radio interview. “It’s not like we are calling other teams and looking to trade CJ….While we’ll always listen, we’re going to take it day-by-day. And see what comes our way. If there’s something that makes sense, we’ll talk about it. But it hasn’t even come close at this point in time.”
The Nationals are in the midst of another rebuilding phase following their 2019 World Series championship.
Toboni’s comments come just two days after the franchise traded All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore to the Texas Rangers in a five-for-one deal that netted five prospects, including 18-year-old third baseman Gavin Fien, who was the 12th overall pick in the 2025 draft.
Washington Nationals, CJ Abrams Entrenched in MLB Trade Rumors
Toboni’s public stance arrives amid reports that the San Francisco Giants made an aggressive push to acquire Abrams before negotiations stalled. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Baggarly, the Giants showed a willingness to include top shortstop prospect Josuar Gonzalez in trade discussions, but the two sides couldn’t find common ground.
Teams like the Red Sox, Mariners, Padres, Pirates, and Yankees have also been connected to Abrams in various reports throughout the offseason.
Abrams’ Production Tells Two Different Stories
In 2025, Abrams hit .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs, 60 RBI, and 31 stolen bases over 144 games, posting a 111 OPS+ and 3.4 WAR. Those numbers mirror his 2024 All-Star campaign when he batted .246/.314/.433 with 20 homers, 65 RBI, and 31 steals.
Over his four-year career split between San Diego and Washington, Abrams owns a .249/.306/.411 slash line with 59 home runs, 210 RBI, and 116 stolen bases, accumulating 10.3 WAR in 523 games. The speed and power combination from a middle infield position makes him an attractive trade chip.
However, there’s a pattern that complicates his value. In each of the past two seasons, Abrams has been excellent through the All-Star break before fading in the second half. He’s proven to be an above-average regular with an All-Star level ceiling that he hasn’t consistently reached over a full season.
The Casino Incident Still Looms
Beyond the production questions, there’s also the matter of an off-the-field issue from September 2024 that raised eyebrows around the league. Abrams was demoted to Triple-A for the final eight games of the 2024 season after he was reportedly spotted at a Chicago casino until 8 a.m. the morning of an afternoon game against the Cubs.
Then-GM Mike Rizzo said the demotion was “in the best interest of the player and the organization” and insisted it wasn’t performance-based, calling it an “internal issue.” Rizzo added that the organization still cared for Abrams and considered him part of the team’s future plans, but the timing was notable — it came during a stretch where Abrams struggled badly in the second half.
Nationals in Familiar Rebuild Mode
Washington hasn’t posted a winning record since capturing the 2019 World Series championship. That title run came at the end of the franchise’s competitive window, as the team lost Bryce Harper the year before and watched Anthony Rendon and other key contributors depart in the aftermath of the championship.
Since then, the Nationals have traded away franchise cornerstones Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Max Scherzer, and Kyle Schwarber as part of a prolonged rebuild. They’ve lost 96, 91, and 91 games in three of the past four full seasons.
The Gore trade to Texas signals that Toboni, at 35 years old, the youngest President of Baseball Operations in Major League Baseball, is continuing to reshape the organization around young talent. He previously served as Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager for the Boston Red Sox and began his career in the Oakland Athletics front office in 2013.
Toboni has assembled a historically young front office and coaching staff, hiring 31-year-old Anirudh Kilambi as general manager and 33-year-old Blake Butera as manager. Time will tell if the front-office youth movement will pay dividends for an organization starving to get back on track.
Nationals’ Toboni Shoots Down Shopping Star CJ Abrams