The New York Yankees have had a major problem at shortstop in 2026. Recent MLB mock trades have found a way to fill the hole and add some pop to an already prodigious lineup. The Yankees need one man: CJ Abrams
Nationals’ CJ Abrams Is a Perfect Fit in New York
In a recent post, @firesidebaseball had the Yankees making a trade for an emerging superstar in Abrams from the Nationals.
The trade reads as follows:
Yankees Receive: CJ Abrams (SS/DH)
Nationals Receive: Dax Kilby (NYY #3, SS), Elmer Rodriguez (NYY #2, SP), Jack Cebert (NYY #25, SP)
Although it seems like a hefty price to pay, Abrams is showing everyone why he’s well worth it.
Abrams Has Been On Fire In D.C.
Abrams, 25, was acquired by the Nationals in the Juan Soto trade. Since his debut, analysts across baseball have groveled at his innate ability to crush the heater. In 2026, Abrams has doubled down on his approach, dominating fastballs at an elite clip. He’s also smoothed out the edges on offspeed/breaking ball offerings.
This season, Abrams is slugging .676 against fastballs, and his OPS of .918 ranks him sixth in the National League.
One of the young shortstop’s biggest flaws is, well, he might not be a long-term shortstop. The Yankees are in this situation to begin with because up-and-comer Anthony Volpe was struggling to field his position. Had he otherwise fielded cleanly, there’s little reason to believe New York wouldn’t have trotted out a 19-homer man at the premier position. For context, with the fielding struggles and a dismal .663 OPS, Volpe still produced 1.6 WAR.
Behind Volpe, there isn’t much holding the Yankee infield together. When manager Aaron Boone’s utility man, Jose Cabellero, went down with an injury, the team had a major hole up the middle.
If this mock were to go through, Abrams would serve as the everyday shortstop, and when Cabellero played, he could slot in at second base. Another struggling bomber in the Bronx is Ryan McMahon, who mans the hot corner. If Abrams were to be acquired, Jazz Chisholm Jr. could slide to third, Abrams could fill it at second, and Cabellero would play short. This example merely demonstrates the flexibility the Yankees currently lack without a big bat on the left side of their infield.
Abrams Helps Address One Of The Yankees’ Biggest Flaws
When you look past everything else. His power, speed, age, athleticism, room for improvement, domination of the fastball, and his pedigree as a player, one thing remains: Abrams could slot in as the Yankee leadoff hitter.
Trent Grisham, who was retained for a qualifying offer after a monster 20025, has been awful thus far. Although the underlying data suggests that ‘The Big Sleep’ has been rather unlucky, when October comes around, crowds are louder than numbers.
Abrams had five leadoff home runs last season and an OPS of .789 when batting first. And although he was solid last year, he’s playing at a much more inviting pace for trade partners.
The longer the Yankees wait to fix their problem, they run the risk that Abrams continues to ascend and becomes even MORE expensive. If New York neglects to address the shortstop need, it says one of two things. One: the club values Caballero very highly, or two: they’re simply playing stopgap until George Lombard Jr. arrives. Whatever the answer may be, none of it should factor into 2026. When you’re the New York Yankees, and you can bring in a star player, you do it. That’s always been the equation, right?
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