No matter how hard the Yankees’ front office keeps selling Anthony Volpe as their long-term answer at shortstop and Josh Caballero as the backup, the position still feels like a glaring weak spot. And the 2025 season made that pretty clear.

Volpe was the everyday shortstop last year, playing 153 games, but the defense was rough. He led the AL with 19 errors, and now he’s dealing with an injury that could keep him off the field on Opening Day. So, at this point, the need for a steady, reliable shortstop is more urgent than ever.

That’s why a name out of Washington is starting to make a lot of noise. The Nationals’ $4.2 million shortstop is drawing interest, and while the Giants have been linked to him as well, they may be falling behind in the race. If that’s the case, the Yankees look well-positioned to step in and make a move.

“CJ Abrams is the name for me that will likely at some point in time move on… If Anthony Volpe struggles… maybe the Yankees take a look at someone like an Abrams down towards the trade deadline,” MLB broadcaster Jon Morosi shared via MLB Network.

So even though Volpe’s defensive struggles are hard to ignore, any move away from him at shortstop also comes down to what he brings at the plate. Reportedly, across his three seasons in the Bronx, Volpe has hit .222/.283/.379 with 52 HRs, 192 RBIs, and 217 runs scored. His OPS has never topped .666 at the big-league level. Still, he’s been a durable and dependable guy the Yankees can pencil into the lineup almost every night.

That said, if the Yankees are going to make a change, they’re looking for someone who can lead the charge on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Abrams would clearly be an upgrade. Over the past three seasons, Abrams has posted a .249/.310/.426 slash line with 57 HRs, 189 RBIs, and 254 runs scored, and his OPS hasn’t dipped below .712 in that span.

Defensively, though, Abrams isn’t a massive step up. The 2024 All-Star still needs to clean up his throws and be more consistent across the diamond.

However, just like the Giants reportedly couldn’t find common ground with the Nationals on a deal for Abrams, the Yankees would be facing the same reality. Washington would want a significant return. And New York would have to be ready to pay a steep price if it wants to get it done.

The Yankees need to pay a good price for Abrams

CJ Abrams isn’t going to come cheap, and if the Yankees want to get serious, they’d have to dip heavily into their farm system.

Well, the Nationals already showed how high the bar is by turning down the offer from the Giants. One that reportedly included Josuar Gonzalez, MLB Pipeline’s No. 44 overall prospect. That pretty much confirms Washington isn’t backing off its steep asking price.

So, for the Yankees, George Lombard Jr. feels like the obvious starting point. The infielder is New York’s top prospect and the kind of high-upside talent the Nationals would likely demand in return for their everyday shortstop. But Lombard alone probably wouldn’t get it done. To sweeten the deal, the Yankees would likely need to add pitching, someone like Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) or Elmer Rodríguez (No. 82).

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That fits Washington’s recent approach, as they’ve consistently targeted big, multi-player prospect packages, especially ones loaded with controllable arms.

So the price tag is massive, and it’s fair to wonder just how far New York is willing to go. Or if they’ll hesitate, as San Francisco apparently did.