He's the San Diego Padres' top prospect in a farm. Abrams was arguably the centerpiece of the six-player return forJuan Soto andJosh Bell. It's helping him now. Washington's future certainly looks . A swoon just before last summers trade deadline dropped them near the bottom of the National League and kicked off a major reboot that saw stars likeMax Scherzer,Trea Turner andKyle Schwarber traded. Abrams started the inning by working a full count and earning his first walk since the trade deadline deal brought him to Washington on Aug. 2. The Friars eventually decided it better to get him regular run in Triple-A, and Abrams has responded with an impressive showing. Jorge Alfaro would appear to be fourth on the depth chart, but San Diego acquired him from the Marlins and he cant be optioned to the minor leagues, meaning the Padres need to keep him on the active roster or designate him for assignment. With that in mind, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com wonders whether Hernndez and Franco will even hold their roster spots for the rest of the 2022 season. The worst-case scenario for Abrams is as an over-aggressive, contact-oriented slasher who plays all over the field. You dont let generational talents like him go. In fact, the door remains open on Abrams contributing to the Padres own big league roster as early as Opening Day. It was a similar story during his early-season MLB look; he made 13 starts at shortstop, four at the keystone, and a lone outing in right field. Abrams, who debuted on April 8, already has 90 games of experience. Neither development comes as a surprise. Abrams, a 21-year-old shortstop, debuted with the . Abrams, who debuted on April 8, already has 90 games of experience. Pitcher MacKenzie Gore, who made his MLB debut this season and was a regular in San Diegos rotation, is a key piece because once he comes off the injured list he figures to immediately slot into Washingtons rotation. Among players with 300+ plate appearances, only Tigers second basemanJonathan Schoop has a lower on-base percentage (.240) than Francos .255. Even before this injury popped up, recent reporting had suggested Abrams would take over at shortstop, with Garcia moving over to second base due to his poor defensive showing at short. Contreras will become a free agent after the season and is all but certain to be traded prior to Tuesday's trade deadline. Apr 15, 2023. He is viewed as a key piece of the Nationals future since being acquired from the Padres at the Trade Deadline. Trout is the prime example of how one player can raise his team's ceiling only so high. Wood, 19, was the Friars second-round pick last season. Zuckerman notes that Franco may be in better position to remain in the lineup. San Diego presumably plans to remain among the leagues highest-payroll clubs in the coming years, as Martinez projects them for $128MM in guaranteed commitments (with a $157MM CBT figure) for next season. Hes played all of 44 games above Rookie ball because of the pandemic and last seasons injury, none of that time at Triple-A. The Wings fell into an immediate 3-0 hole in the top of the first when starting pitcher Joan Adon got the first two outs, only to give up a walk and three straight singles. In the pre-season rankings for the 2022 season, he was ranked as the 8th overall prospect by MLB Pipeline, 10th overall by Baseball America, and 15th overall by FanGraphs. And all of our infielders have actually been taking ground balls throughout the infield now, so its kind of nice. Soto is arbitration-eligible through 2024, so Washington couldve held onto him until next winter or merely proceeded year-by-year through the arb process and tried to put a contending roster back around him. Susana, 18, just signed in this past international amateur class. While his Triple-A numbers dont jump off the page, he eventually settled in to the level. CJ Abrams went 3-for-5 at the plate for the . The 21-year-old has struggled in his big league experience to date, hitting .232/.285/.320 through his first 46 games. Abrams' arrival shifted Luis Garcia to second base and brought a heightened level of excitement in Washington. Abrams was the Padres. One justification for moving Soto immediately is that the Nationals could at least maximize their return. Learn more here. Abrams. Alongside the two big leaguers, the Nationals bring in a trio of highly-regarded prospects. Future optional assignments, if needed, might push those trajectories back. Like Abrams, Hassell and Wood are regarded as top five prospects in the Padres farm system and among the top 60 minor league players in the game, according to Baseball America. While Abrams didnt take many free passes, he demonstrated the kind of athleticism, bat-to-ball skills and power potential that has made him one of the games consensus top prospects. In a Monday mailbag, Dennis Lin of The Athletic poured cold water on pre-lockout reports that the Padres had targeted Nick Castellanos to fill an outfield/DH vacancy, but he did suggest the club might enter the sweepstakes for Japanese slugger Seiya Suzuki when free agency resumes. If theres a shortcoming in his profile, its that he doesnt walk. This season, he celebrated his 22nd birthday on Monday preparing to compete against the Mets at Citi Field as the Nationals' starting shortstop. Your country's customs office can offer more details, or visit eBay's page on international trade. Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times had previously reported Hosmer was "not thrilled" about being traded to the Nationals, which meant the Padres would have needed to offer additional incentive to get him to waive his no-trade clause: Hearing , so it will likely take a chunk of money or maybe an additional year added to his already onerous 8-year, $144-million deal (3 years, $39 million left, through 2025) to get him to sign off on deal. Through 344 plate appearances, Voit owns a .225/.317/.416 line with 13 homers. It did have the effect, however, of ensuring he wont reach a full year of service this season. By James Hicks | May 10, 2022 at 11:22pm CDT. Collect, trade and play with CJ Abrams Sorare Cards available in different scarcities and own your game Currently considered the #11 prospect across the league by Baseball America, Abrams hasnt hit much at the major league level yet, but hes hit .310/.360/.480 in Triple-A this season. Hes played sporadically at each of shortstop, second base and in the outfield with a win-now team in San Diego, but he should have a clearer path to everyday playing time at shortstop on the Nationals. But in the bottom half, Rochester erupted for five runs as Abrams got it started with a single, and eventually David Dahl had a two-run single, John Nogowski had an RBI single which started him on a 5-for-5 night, and three straight walks forced in two runs. I just go by the present day and keep going, just keep playing and doing my thing out there. Abrams is the youngest member of the Nats' starting lineup, born 4 1/2 months after second baseman Luis Garca. Gores 11.5% walk percentage remained a bit high, but it wasnt anywhere near the level of control concerns hed had in prior seasons. Since rejoining the Majors, Cruz is 4-for-18 with a stolen base. Including projections for arbitration-eligible players, the Padres are presently on the hook for just shy of $199MM in 2022 salary (via Jason Martinez ofRoster Resource). Bell is one of the more well-rounded hitters in the sport. Shortstop C.J. The Padres pulled off the biggest deadline deal in years, announcing the acquisition of bothJuan SotoandJosh Bellfrom the Nationals. Oakland A's outfielder Ramon Laureano went hitless in three at-bats Friday after missing three games with groin tightness. Abrams got some MLB time with the Padres this year, though the Nats initially optioned him to the minors after the trade. CJ Abrams. New York Mets Notes Philadelphia Phillies Washington Nationals Bryce Harper CJ Abrams Corey Knebel Luis Garcia (infielder) Luis Guillorme, By Anthony Franco | August 9, 2022 at 11:01pm CDT. The Georgia native missed a fair bit of action, with the cancelation of the 2020 minor league season and a left leg injury that ended his 2021 campaign in July. Once a fairly well-regarded prospect, hes fallen off the map since joining the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade. Given his elite speed, Abrams could probably be a plus defender in the outfield as well, and hes gotten some work on the grass this spring. Its a territory with which the franchise is evidently now comfortable, and theyll be rewarded for their aggressiveness with one of the sports most entertaining rosters. (AAA numbers) 247 PA, 9 HR, 11 SB, .232/.336/.422. Hes limited to first base or designated hitter, but most public metrics agree Bell has played his way to roughly average at first after posting well below-average numbers earlier in his career. Paul Christopher Abrams (born October 3, 2000) is an American professional baseball shortstop for the Washington Nationals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Big Hype Prospects MLBTR Originals Anthony Volpe Brett Baty CJ Abrams Eury Perez Gunnar Henderson Jeter Downs Joey Wiemer Noelvi Marte Oneil Cruz Zac Veen, By Anthony Franco | June 20, 2022 at 5:08pm CDT. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Still, Abrams has a to-do list to tackle heading into the offseason. Garca carried a .290 batting average into play tonight, but hed reached base at just a .295 clip based on a microscopic 0.9% walk rate. "I love everything he's doing right now," Manager Dave Martinez said Tuesday before Abrams went 1 for 4 with a. All of this is to say that Marte doesnt seem to be the second-coming if you buy into this early-development narrative. Abrams got some MLB time. Suzukis bat is hardly a sure thing Friars fans will note the significant adjustment difficulties of KBO import Ha-Seong Kim in 2021, though the versatile infielder did provide significant value with his glove but his career .315/.414/.541 line at Japans highest level (.317/.433/.539 in 2021) offers plenty to dream on. Abrams is presumably the first player of the deal Washington fans will see at Nationals park, as hes likely to soon join the MLB roster. In three seasons in the minors after he was drafted, Abrams had a .331/.386/.518 line with 31 doubles, nine triples, and 12 home runs in 107 games and 504 plate appearances as he rose quickly and . Though the Giants and Mariners appear to be the industry favorites to sign Suzuki, Padres fans have learned never to put anything past GM and president of baseball operations A. J. Preller, particularly given Seidlers repeated willingness to green-light moves that commit the club to significant years and dollars. Abrams handled the aggressive assignment well, hitting .296/.363/.420 with a pair of home runs and 13 stolen bases over 183 plate appearances. A left-handed hitter with plus bat-to-ball skills and elite speed, he performed quite well in the low minors. Yet theres little question he has electric physical abilities, and the San Diego front office evidently feels hes at least capable of keeping his head above water in the early going while continuing to develop into a core long-term piece. Abrams' rankings have fluctuated somewhat over time, depending . Shortstops are hard to find and he sure does look the part.. Signed by the Tigers as an amateur free agent from Venezuela in 2012, he spent eight seasons in the Detroit farm system and played his way to Double-A. Both have proven themselves capable of greater production than theyve delivered so far, of course, and they should give a boost to a Padres lineup thats posted a meager 65 wRC+ in May. The excitement regarding Padres prospect CJ Abrams is real. Evaluators have been divided on his ability to stick at shortstop long-term, but the general consensus is that hed be a solid defender at second base. Abrams could make his debut for the Nationals there if he doesn't play earlier this week against the Chicago Cubs. $1.99. When he does lift the ball, you can expect to see it soar. He remains controllable through the end of the 2028 season, and future optional assignments could push that trajectory back even further. Hes popped 10 homers, swiped 15 bases and has a robust 15.7% walk rate against a more than manageable 17.8% strikeout rate. Preller, and it sets up San Diego with potentially having the best young combination of hitters in MLB. Over the offseason, I was virtually cornered by several Yankees fans who not-so-calmly explained that Volpe was the best prospect since Mike Trout. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported the Padres and Nationals were moving close on a Soto deal. SIGN UP. Preller and his group have shown a willingness to swing for marquee talent time and again. And the answer is: The biggest trade package ever. Another CJ, CJ Hinojosa, was optioned to Triple-A El Paso earlier today along with Nomar Mazara, Travis Bergen and Taylor Kohlwey. Rookie shortstopC.J. Bell is a pure rental, as hell be a free agent for the first time after this season. Standing at 6-foot-6, 235 pounds, Susana has a plus plus heater that can touch triple digits and nasty slider in the upper 80s that flashes plus. While hes unlikely to ever win a Gold Glove Award, Bell should be a perfectly fine first baseman for the final few months. Since the trade, he's made 35 plate appearances with Triple-A Rochester, hitting .290 with two RBIs. A toolsy high school outfielder from Florida, he had swing-and-miss concerns as a draft prospect that led to some questions about his ability to consistently tap into his huge power potential. All four of those pitchers have options remaining, and the Friars could certainly opt to stockpile depth after seeing a series of rotation injuries contribute to a second-half collapse last year. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource estimates the franchises post-trade deadline CBT number around $242MM, a fair bit north of the $230MM base threshold. Created with Sketch. Juan Soto should go down as an Alex Ovechkin-like figure in D.C., one of the greatest athletes in the citys history. CJ Abrams is one of many top Padres prospects leaving the organization. It wasnt long ago that trading a hitter of this caliber wouldve seemed unfathomable. East County resident Tim Abbo snags C.J. Luis Garca has been one of the organizations more promising prospects for years, but hes still just 22 years old. The third overall pick in the 2017 draft, he quickly developed into the games top pitching prospect after dominating lower level hitters. Abrams, 21, SS, Padres (MLB) This acquisition doesn't single-handedly make the Padres the favorites to win the World Series. Its only fitting to touch upon Cruz one more time. Per Rosenthal, Washington took the step after Soto declined a 15-year, $440 million offer. Newsstand San Diego Padres Transactions Washington Nationals CJ Abrams Eric Hosmer James Wood Jarlin Susana Josh Bell Juan Soto Luke Voit MacKenzie Gore Robert Hassell III, By Brad Johnson | June 24, 2022 at 6:50pm CDT. When Tim Dierkes suggested I run this column, Cruz was his first example of the type of player he wanted to see covered. He was an integral part of the Nationals World Series winner in 2019, following up a .282/.401/.548 regular season performance with a .277/.373/.554 showing during that years postseason. Abrams, 21, went down for a changeup out of the zone, low, from Braves' reliever Jackson Stephens and lined it to right for the game-winner, but there was the play in the eighth, where he sent a. Joc Pederson might be a more relevant groovy comparison as a left-handed hitter with a pretty, loopy swing. His .195 BABIP indicated poor luck. 9 prospect on the BA Top 100, hit his first career home run in his first career at-bat at Petco Park in front of a sellout crowd for the Padres home opener . If theyre not content with their internal outfield options, a trade may be the better way for the front office to go. San Diego Padres: CJ Abrams. Right-handerReiss Knehr was optioned out in a corresponding transaction. From a service time perspective, Abrams optional assignment lasted long enough to delay his path to free agency by a season. He hit .398/.442/.519 over his last 95 Triple-A plate appearances. Cruz is built like a young Aaron Judge, and he hits the ball nearly as hard. Join the Best Live Fantasy Chat Community! Baseball Arbitration Research Market Analyst Job Opening, Checking In On The Rays Left-Handed Bats, How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News, While the progress of Harper is good news, the Phillies also got some bad news today. CJ Abrams SS WAS. Yet San Diego wouldnt have carried him out of camp if they didnt feel he was ready for the challenge, and theyd certainly love if Abrams is in the big leagues to stay. Washington Nationals Cesar Hernandez CJ Abrams Luis Garcia (infielder) Maikel Franco Patrick Corbin, By Anthony Franco | August 2, 2022 at 7:34pm CDT. . That remained the case just two months ago, when Washington general manager Mike Rizzo flatly declared the club was not trading Soto. For his career, Soto boasts a .291/.427/.538 slash line along with a .966 OPS and a 158 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. Like Cruz, Abrams had a previous brief taste of the Majors and recently returned for four games. The Padres currently have four catchers on the 40-man roster, all of whom have reasonable claims to a spot on the MLB club. Top 100 prospect Julien called up by Twins. CJ Abrams Trade Value Trade value on the open market is 2.42 which ranks him 12th among shortstop's and 666th overall. Preller to engage the trade market with. In 568 2/3 career innings at shortstop, Garca has rated a staggering 19 runs below average by measure of Defensive Runs Saved. Unfortunately, Abrams was deprived of a second half of reps after he fractured his left tibia and sprained his MCL in an on-field collision in early July. $1.35. His ADP of 271 is fair, but as he enters his sophomore season, the shortstop could be a potential sleeper candidate in fantasy leagues this year. LeCroy has already sent Luis Garcia to the Nationals this season, and unlike 2021 when Garcia went up but then came back down, the shortstop is having a fine year and has become a regular starter. Soto again turned down the Nationals overtures this time a 15-year, $440MM proposal and the club pivoted to the trade market. Abrams spent the second half of his first pro season in rookie ball, with a late cameo at Low-A. Abrams only had 46 major league games under his belt when Washington acquired him from the San Diego Padres last season as one of six players in the Juan Soto trade. Prospect evaluators were divided on his ability to stick at the position long-term, and the results in his big league time have been ghastly. There's no reason to think that won't continue. Once Abrams is in the big leagues, Garca is likely to kick to the other side of the second base bag. Abrams has been hitting well this spring, and with Fernando Tatis Jr. set to miss as much as the first three months of the season, there is a vacancy at Abrams natural shortstop position. The jury may still be out on Garcas offensive upside, but its apparent hes miscast as a shortstop. He still needs to work and clean up some things on some fundamentals that young kids tend to make mistakes on; things that hes going to need to be locked in on before he goes to the big leagues.. Myers and Voit will likely reclaim their spots in the lineup (Myers in right, Voit at DH), though neither had gotten off to a blistering start to the season. Theres some debate whether hell stick at shortstop or should eventually move to second base or center field, but hes certain to play up the middle somewhere and could be a traditional top-of-the-order type. Keeping him in the majors would allow San Diego some cover behind Cronenworth and Ha-Seong Kim in the middle infield whileFernando Tats Jr. is on the injured list. Given Corbins struggles, its hard to envision the Nationals getting out from under any of that money. He's featured in 43 games for the Padres this season, his first year of MLB action, and has slashed .231/.280/.322 with 2 home runs and. He went on to make 13 starts while the club navigated injuries toBlake Snell andMike Clevinger, pitching to a 4.27 ERA with a solid 23.1% strikeout rate. Is CJ Abrams ready for major league service time now with the San Diego Padres? Abrams, pitcher MacKenzie Gore, outfielder Robert Hassell III, outfielder James Wood, pitcher Jarlin Susana and first baseman/DH Luke Voit. He hit .214/.241/.250 over the last week and is at .191/.257/.324 for the month. Nevertheless, both Lin and Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribunehave written this week the organization is considering carrying the 21-year-old on the MLB roster. The Padres havent placed Machado on the injured list, but theyll turn to Abrams at shortstop and Kim at the hot corner tonight against the Diamondbacks. C.J. It seems likely that the team might still pursue this strategy when Clevinger does return, though the extra recovery time could allow Clevinger to start a bit deeper into games. CJ Abrams went 3-for-5 at the plate for the . San Diego Padres Austin Nola Chris Paddack CJ Abrams Eric Hosmer Jorge Alfaro Luis Campusano MacKenzie Gore Reiss Knehr Ryan Weathers Victor Caratini, By James Hicks | February 1, 2022 at 6:43pm CDT. Tyler still has all three options remaining. Since then, I rediscovered the initial note, and it comes from a highly reputable source with access to dozens of scouts. The longtime Hiroshima Toyo Carp outfielder, who might offer the highest bang-for-the-buck potential among remaining free agent outfielders, wont command nearly the salary sought by Castellanos or Kris Bryant (MLBTR projects Suzuki will sign for five years and $55MM). C.J. And when he returns home one year older, Abrams will be able to unpack his rookie season -- literally. Abrams is the youngest member of the Nats starting lineup, born 4 1/2 months after second baseman Luis Garca. CJ Abrams made his Washington Nationals debut on Monday, bringing excitement to the ballpark as the centerpiece from the Juan Soto trade took the field. The Nationals could soon be in line for a shakeup of their infield. Theres no doubt some risk for the Pads in pushing Abrams straight to the big leagues. Thatd figure to be a regular combination if Machado is forced to miss an extended amount of time. That kept Abrams to just 42 games above A-ball entering this year, but the Friars nevertheless carried him on the big league roster after losing Tatis to a wrist fracture. Having watched him play several games, the energy he gives off evokes Bryce Harper. Eury Perez, Marlins (19): Currently shredding Double-A hitters, Perez is perhaps the most-precocious pitching prospect since Julio Urias. From June 18th until August 3rd, Abrams was an absolute nightmare for Arizona League pitchers and a major draw for fans and scouts alike.