Royals need to avoid tempting but risky trade experiment with Nationals All-Star

After a season where the Kansas City Royals sat in the bottom third of the league in wRC+ (22nd at 93), runs scored (26th with 651), home runs (26th with 159) and RBI (26th with 638), there's definitely holes in the lineup that must be addressed this winter.

Two of those holes on J.J. Picollo and the front office's offseason to-do list are the outfield and second base.

While there are certainly strong trade targets as well as free agent standouts that could adequately address those needs, a recent report from a pair of trusted MLB insiders might've revealed a name that could potentially be an option at either of those positions.

On Tuesday, ESPN's Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed several names that could be traded this offseason as well as some potential trade fits for them. The Royals were linked to several names, but one stood out from the rest of them. That name was CJ Abrams.

As exciting as it is to be linked to a former All-Star who once held some pretty substantial prospect pedigree, there's plenty of reason why the Royals should resist any temptation to acquire the Washington Nationals' youngster.

Royals must avoid temptation of trading for Nationals' CJ Abrams

Now, upon first glance, as a young shortstop CJ Abrams doesn't seem to fit into the Royals plans at all, because if the Royals have one one things covered, it's occupying the shortstop position with a young standout talent thanks to Bobby Witt Jr.

However, his 2025 season was absolutely dreadful defensively, as he sat within the bottom five qualified shortstops in DRS (fourth worst at -6), OAA (third worst at -11) and FRV (tied for second worst at -9). And it wasn't just a bad year, it's been a real trend of poor fielding in recent years for Abrams, as Passan and McDaniel pointed out.

"Abrams has been the worst defensive shortstop over the past three seasons (-31 runs), with the next-closest player at -15 runs," they wrote.

This has made many speculate a position change could be due for him. Passan and McDaniel mentioned a potential move to center field while others, such as District on Deck's Jack McGuire, suggesting a shift to second base could be in order.

However, position change or not, the lack of a fit goes beyond just the putrid defense.

Abrams is no schlub offensively, however, it's safe to say he hasn't lived up to the Top 10 prospect potential he entered the league with back in 2022.

After a pair of sub-par seasons in his rookie and sophomore years - he held a 72 wRC+ in 2022 and a 91 wRC+ in 2023 - Abrams has managed to be a solid above average contributor.

In 2024 he slashed .246/.314/.433 with 20 HR, 65 RBI and a 106 wRC+. Then, last season, he looked marginally better with a .257/.315/.433 slash line, 19 HR, 60 RBI, a sub-20% K-rate (19.7%) and a 107 wRC+.

That being said, apart from his decent 20+ HR pop and 30+ stolen base potential, these offensive numbers don't seem game changing. And when you consider the fact he'll have to navigate a new position if he were to join the Royals, it could hinder his offense while he gets adjusted in 2026.

Now, with a strong offensive core already, the Royals don't necessarily need a game-changing talent, rather they just need to surround their quartet of stars with better complementary bats. That being said, while Abrams' recent production would fit that bill, his price tag doesn't appear to match that whatsoever.

From strictly a financial perspective, Abrams is pretty cost effective entering his first year of arbitration, with MLB Trade Rumors projecting his 2026 salary at $5.6 million. However, from a trade return standpoint, his age, years of control and prior prospect pedigree could demand a strong return, as Passan and McDaniel alluded to in their report this week.

"The Nationals -- with a dearth of quality big league players -- will not trade one to teams unwilling to pay a premium for his age, position and control," they wrote.

The Royals already have a weak farm system, and given the fact Washington remains in a rebuild, it's reasonable to think they may very well value prospect packages as opposed to major league ready talent like the Royals seem to leaning towards in potential trade talks.

Kansas City already has a weaker farm system. And would they be willing to give up younger controllable major league arms, suitable for a rebuilding team like Washington such as Noah Cameron or Ryan Bergert, for a player who's somewhat of a gamble like Abrams?

He's a name that carries a lot of intrigue, but apart from a pair of strong first halfs the past two years, he hasn't had the results to match the hype. And the Royals can't afford to take big gambles if they hope to get back to the postseason again in 2026.