MLB Rumors: Padres & Nationals Linked to Blockbuster Trade

January 30, 2026 ,
Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams hits the ball during 2025 game.

A familiar name is back in the San Diego Padres rumor mill. 

Multiple reports and insider chatter have connected the Padres to Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, the former top prospect who originally left San Diego in the Juan Soto blockbuster. 

The idea picks up steam because Washington has already shown it is thinking long-term after moving MacKenzie Gore, and now Abrams is being floated as another possible big chip before the season fully settles.

Why CJ Abrams keeps getting attached to San Diego

Abrams is coming off a strong season at age 25, posting a .257/.315/.433 line with 19 home runs, 31 stolen bases, and a 111 OPS+, plus he has already earned All-Star recognition in his young career. 

That blend of left-handed pop and game-changing speed is exactly the kind of profile San Diego has been hunting when the lineup gets a little too right-handed and a little too station-to-station behind Fernando Tatis Jr. 

A 30-steal pace speed with real power at a middle-infield spot is rare, and he has reached the 20-homer and 30-steal thresholds once, and come razor close two other times.

Over the past three seasons, Abrams has slashed .249/.310/.426, with 57 home runs, 189 RBIs, a whopping 109 stolen bases, 254 runs, and a 10.2 WAR across 433 games played.

The real problem is price, and the Padres know it

Jon Heyman has openly floated the Padres as the kind of team A.J. Preller could chase for a move like this, but the reporting tone around the market is consistent: Washington is not giving him away, and at least one big offer elsewhere has already been turned down. 

The San Francisco Giants tried to push a package across the table and could not close it, which matters because it suggests the Nationals are aiming high and are comfortable holding their line. 

For San Diego, that means any realistic path probably starts with their very best talent, and the question of whether they can afford him is a real conversation, both in prospects and in how aggressive they want to be in the NL arms race.

Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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