CJ Abrams "Not Thrilled" About Nationals Position Change Decision

The Washington Nationals have shifted their attention from staying competitive in 2026 to the next step of the vision as Paul Toboni inches closer toward year two as president of baseball operations. Yet maybe the biggest decision he has made since arriving in Washington materialized late last week after he and manager Blake Butera revealed that CJ Abrams and Nasim Nunez are set to flip positions. Toboni and Butera both noted that Abrams was on board with the decision to move from shortstop to second base, even if he took it hard, yet the outlook may be even more pessimistic than that after Abrams' agent said the star shortstop is "not thrilled" about the position move. Mike Sanders of Roc Nation Sports told The Athletic that Abrams views himself as a shortstop both "short-term and long-term" before noting the Nationals may not "have a full evaluation yet of how good he can truly be there." Abrams has drawn clear trade interest since Toboni and Butera arrived, interest that only grew ahead of the trade deadline with multiple teams reaching out through July into August, but what was a concern -- and what could ultimately be the true, unsaid reason for the move -- was Abrams' defense, before and during 2026. The star infielder owns the worst fielding run value among any shortstop in baseball, while leading the entire league with 19 errors so far in 2026. Ironically, Abrams was also 0-for-11 with two strikeouts before leading off Tuesday's game against the Texas Rangers with a double to break out of his slump, proving to be the lone source of semi-offense for the Nationals in the loss. But the offense has never been the problem given he is in the midst of a career season with 28 home runs, 91 RBIs, batting .278 with an .884 OPS to consistently rank among the best hitters in all of baseball. Yet the position switch will be about mitigating his weaknesses, while many view Abrams moving from shortstop as a matter of when, not if. Whether it materializes into something further is the next question because, like MacKenzie Gore last offseason, the Nationals' front office will have to answer for what his long-term status is with the organization with two more years of club control remaining. The growing noise following the post-deadline decision doesn't fuel optimism that a contract extension will ultimately materialize. Until then, the wait remains when the Nationals ultimately put Abrams at second base for the first time after leading off the lineup as the designated hitter in Tuesday's loss with Nasim Nunez filling in at shortstop.