CJ Abrams won't sign an extension unless the Nationals promise him shortstop

CJ Abrams won't sign an extension unless the Nationals promise him shortstop

The Washington Nationals had a productive 2026. They won more games than expected, their young core stayed healthy, and in the final weeks of the season they handed out a contract extension to Cade Cavalli and then another to outfielder Jacob Young. The rebuild felt like it was clicking into place. Then came the CJ Abrams problem.

According to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, Abrams will only sign an extension with the team this offseason if he receives "some degree of assurance" that he will be playing the shortstop position. And Morosi adds that it is more likely, in light of Abrams' demand, that Washington ultimately trades him instead of extending him.

That is a stunning sentence to have in print this early in the offseason. Abrams is 26 years old. He just had the best season of his career. He hit .261 with 33 home runs, 106 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, and an .833 OPS in 2026. Those are numbers that any front office in baseball would be happy to build around. The complication is that Washington moved him off shortstop last summer.

Abrams started the 2026 All-Star Game at shortstop, then spent August learning second base at the club's request. He played 14 games at second base, and his OAA per Statcast was right at league average, 0.0. President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni framed the move publicly as a way to get Abrams more reps at a position with potential. The player, it turns out, had a different read on what it meant for his future.

The Nationals also have shortstop prospects Seaver King and Eli Willits on the rise, which explains why the front office might see second base as Abrams' long-term home. His defense at short has never been airtight. He committed roughly 20 errors with the leather in 2026, even while producing at the plate at a level few shortstops in the league can match.

The standoff leaves Toboni in a genuinely difficult spot. Extension talks already happened with Cavalli, and according to former general manager Jim Bowden, Washington will try to do that with both Abrams and outfielder James Wood this winter. The Nationals were able to finalize something with Cavalli pretty quickly, which is a good sign that Toboni and his front office can close the deal when it's crunch time. The Young extension, signed November 6, followed that same pattern.

Abrams is a different conversation entirely. He remains under Washington's control through 2028, and MLB analyst Grant Paulsen treated his demand as effectively the end of the extension conversation in Washington, saying Abrams is going to be unwilling to talk unless the Nats extend him as a shortstop.

What makes this genuinely complicated: the Nationals are not forced to do anything immediately. The Nats control Abrams' employment for the 2027 and 2028 seasons. They don't have to trade him any time soon. But waiting carries its own cost. The more years of control that tick away, the less return Washington gets if it eventually moves him. And Abrams is a clear trade candidate, and that becomes even more true if he and his representatives balk at extension talks.

His representatives include Roc Nation, which Nats.Talk noted in its breakdown of the offseason roster picture. Every core player is controlled through at least 2030 except for Abrams, who can become a free agent after the 2028 season. Abrams, a Roc Nation client, is the next one the Nats need to get done.

The Red Sox have already made their interest known. Boston "will keep calling the Nationals about a possible CJ Abrams trade." Former general manager Jim Bowden has also floated a Dodgers scenario publicly, making the Los Angeles case on "Foul Territory" on Foul Territory, identifying Abrams as an ideal Dodgers trade target. Los Angeles has the prospect depth to make the Nationals listen.

The Washington Post's coverage of the broader offseason picture put the Jacob Young extension in context: Young's new deal follows pitcher Cade Cavalli's extension in September, with Young coming off a career year at the plate. With new contracts in the past two months for Young and Cavalli, both with team control through at least 2030, the Nats have gotten to a point where every core player is controlled through that date except Abrams, who can become a free agent after 2028.

So the choice facing Toboni is straightforward to describe and hard to execute. Guarantee Abrams shortstop, block King or Willits from moving up, and hope the defense cleans up. Or refuse to give that assurance, watch extension talks collapse, and start fielding offers for one of the five or six best all-around infielders in the National League. Whether Abrams ultimately sticks at shortstop or moves to second base will be another key part of the offseason, yet the latest signal could prove the Nationals are serious about building.

The Nats' front office and Abrams' camp reportedly had dinner together in Washington earlier this month, per Nats.Talk. What was said at that table, nobody is saying publicly.

Sources

• EssentiallySports: CJ Abrams reportedly demands security before signing extension (Nov. 7, 2026)
• Larry Brown Sports: CJ Abrams is making 1 notable demand this offseason (Nov. 6, 2026)
• Sportskeeda: MLB analyst raises doubts over Abrams' Nationals future (Nov. 7, 2026)
• Sports Illustrated: Nationals will reportedly attempt to extend Wood, Abrams (Nov. 4, 2026)
• Nats.Talk: Nats extend Jacob Young and their window through 2030 (Nov. 6, 2026)
• Washington Post: Nationals sign Jacob Young to extension (Nov. 6, 2026)
• The Nats Report: CJ Abrams extension or trade? The Nationals face a key decision