CJ Abrams was traded to the Washington Nationals in 2022 as part of one of the biggest trades in MLB history. After spending three full seasons with the Washington Nationals, fans have shown their love for Abrams and how he has become a face of the franchise. A recurring theme with MLB’s top young talent is that some organizations are prioritizing finalizing extensions before a true breakout. CJ Abrams is one of the best young shortstops in baseball. Conversations in Washington should be about extending their star talent, including CJ Abrams.
Reports began circulating in the first half of the 2024 season that Washington and CJ Abrams were discussing a potential contract extension. According to an article written by Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post in 2024, Abrams and Washington “held substantive discussions” about a possible contract extension. It seems that both sides have looked into an extension; however, nothing came out of it. Whether Abrams or Washington is hesitant on a deal, the right move for Washington should be to re-sign as a franchise cornerstone.
Here are some key reasons why Washington should extend CJ Abrams to a long-term deal.
A Cornerstone in the Capital
Abrams was traded to the Washington Nationals in 2022 and has been the starting shortstop since arriving. He has been in Washington for over three seasons, and even though Washington has continued to disappoint fans in the win column, he has provided hope at the shortstop position for the first time since Trea Turner. Not only is Abrams a stellar athlete, he has been in Washington during the entirety of their rebuild dating back to 2022.
Locking up a fan favorite at one of the most important positions in baseball is something Washington should entertain the thought of, especially with so many question marks surrounding the team’s future. As fans continue to lose faith in the organization, an extension could bring faith back into the organization, showing that they are all in on their young star.
Progress You Can Bet On
In his first full season in Washington, Abrams posted a career high in WAR (3.5) while also posting career highs in every offensive category. The following season in 2024, Abrams made his first All-Star game and proceeded to break all of his career highs on the offensive side of the ball. In 2025, Abrams has become an even better player, on pace for a career high in WAR, batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, and OPS+. Throughout each season, Abrams has shown the ability to grow.
Let’s dive into each season and how he has improved. Looking back at 2022, Abrams was just a shell of his current self, with a .241 xBA, .316 xSLG, and a chase percentage of 41.2. In 2023, every stat increased, including a jump from chase percentage from 41.2 to 35.1, xSLG from .316 to .399, and he became one of the most dangerous runners on base paths, stealing 47 bases. In 2024, Abrams made his first All-Star game with a terrific first half; however, he regressed in the back half of the season, tarnishing his stats. There is still a jump from ‘23 to ‘24 in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.
He is currently having the best season of his career, posting career highs in almost every advanced offensive metric, as well as base stats such as batting average and slugging percentage. The progression, though it has been slow improvement, has been a sight to see for Nationals fans. I expect Abrams to continue his progression in 2026 and beyond.
Outperforming the Market
Over the past five years, many players around the league have received contracts before even making the move to the majors. This is because of the overwhelming potential they have shown while being within the minor leagues. Abrams is in a different position, spending most of his MLB service time with the Washington Nationals.
If we look around baseball, Bobby Witt Jr. signed an 11-year, $288.7 million contract extension just before an MVP-caliber season in 2024. However, Abrams hasn’t had the success or the prospect pedigree as Witt, but Abrams is currently pre-arbitration, and so was Witt when he signed. Two players I want to dive into are Ezequiel Tovar and Ceddanne Rafaela, as they received pre-arbitration contracts in 2024.
Abrams is currently 24-years-old and will be 25-years-old heading into the 2026 season. He will be arbitration-eligible in 2026, and this will put pressure on Washington, especially if Abrams keeps improving on both sides of the ball. Tovar and Rafaela signed their pre-arbitration contracts in 2024: Tovar signing for 7-years, $63.5 million, and Rafaela signing for 8-years, $50 million.
At this point, neither player had much MLB service time, but the potential was there, and both teams felt the need to lock up their young players. Tovar signed at 22-years-old and in 2024, had the best season of his career, putting up career-highs across the board, and Rafaela signed at 23-years-old and is currently having a career season. However, Rafaela has been forced to move positions with the return of Trevor Story, and Tovar has been injury riddled throughout the 2025 season, but is having a down year compared to his Gold Glove winning 2024 campaign. The downside of Abrams is the defense. Tovar and Rafaela have been some of the league’s best defensive players since entering the MLB.
Abrams is currently posting a career season and is having a better offensive season than extended players such as Rafaela and Tovar. If Abrams can show improvement in his defensive game towards the end of the season, Washington should consider pulling the trigger before Abrams becomes arbitration-eligible. It is unsure what the contract would look like for Washington, but they should consider similar extensions to what Ezequiel Tovar and Ceddanne Rafaela received back in 2024.
The Time Is Now
The Washington Nationals have missed the postseason every year since winning the World Series in 2019. With all of the key contributors of the World Series team gone, Washington is moving into a new era of Nationals baseball. Young stars such as CJ Abrams and James Wood have continued to grow since joining the organization in 2022. CJ Abrams has continued to progress throughout all aspects of his game and is becoming one of the best players at his position.
Once again, it is tough to say what an extension would look like at this point, but one thing is for certain: Washington should do everything it can to extend their All-Star.
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