While that would've been the largest contract ever in MLB in terms of overall value, Soto's $29.3 million salary would've been lower than the average earnings for Mike Trout ($35.5 million), Gerrit Cole ($36 million), Francisco Lindor ($34.1 million), Corey Seager ($32.5 million) and Mookie Betts ($30.4 million) among a few others. . MLB Network's Jon Morosi, ESPN's Jeff Passan and USA Today Sports' Bob Nightengale initially reported details of the deal. Finally, the Nationals round out the return with Voit. He remains controllable through the end of the 2028 season, and future optional assignments could push that trajectory back even further. Abrams was arguably the centerpiece of the six-player return forJuan Soto andJosh Bell. If first impressions mean anything, new Rochester Red Wings shortstop C.J. With trade acquisition CJ Abrams installed as the team's starting shortstop, the Nationals are hoping to have Luis Garca back from the injured list to play second base in Friday's game. 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. The Padres currently have four catchers on the 40-man roster, all of whom have reasonable claims to a spot on the MLB club. 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. Then he showed off his speed, advancing from. Its been kind of crazy, Abrams, speaking on his birthday, said of the past year. Soto hit .292/.406/.517 in 116 games as a rookie. That wouldnt leave spots for any ofChris Paddack,Reiss Knehror former top prospectsRyan Weathers andMacKenzie Gore. That parade feels like a different lifetime, IMO, Nats are paying the price (literally?) Abrams spent the vast majority of his time in El Paso at shortstop, but he picked up two starts apiece at second base and in center field. This week, we investigate a mix of prospects at a wide range of levels. Ive been all over the place. 12.09. Abrams will report to Red Wings Abrams has been assigned to Rochester, though it is unlikely he will get to Columbus in time to play Tuesday. 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. Since then, Baseball Prospectus Jarrett Seidler indicated Henderson might be the top prospect left in the minors. But Im enjoying it, having fun playing baseball, living the dream, really.. If he does, hell flower into a high-quality leadoff hitter. Abrams from Triple-A Rochester. // https://t.co/Dzz3g2P5IK pic.twitter.com/MeBDtu2zLo. Included in the fun were four home runs, a 5.3 percent walk rate, and an 11.6 percent strikeout rate. His .195 BABIP indicated poor luck. A divisive prospect, Wiemer is gaining steam as one of those guys who might succeed perhaps even thrive despite glaring flaws. The Cardinals and Dodgers were generally viewed among San Diegos top rivals in the bidding for Soto, and theres surely an added bonus in keeping him away from teams whom San Diego could plausibly meet in the postseason for the next few years. The San Diego Padres acquired star right fielder Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Washington Nationals ahead of MLB's trade deadline Tuesday. Rizzo and his staff decided against that course of action. He's the San Diego Padres' top prospect in a farm. Hes due around $24MM next season and will make a bit more than $35MM come 2024. Second basemanCsar Hernndez and third basemanMaikel Franco have each played the majority of games this season, but neither has performed well. Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune) Top prospect CJ Abrams likely to make team because. Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported the sides had agreed on a dealsending Bell and Soto to San Diego, as well as the inclusion of each of Abrams, Hassell, Wood and Susana. Still, theres reason for Washington to challenge their young players in non-competitive seasons. The Padres are potentially looking at having their three best players under contract through at least 2028, too. Abrams fast-tracked to the majors Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports According to MLB.com, Abrams headed into the spring as the ninth-best prospect in all of baseball. CJ Abrams turned 21 years old last Oct. 3 while participating in the instructional league with the Padres. CJ Abrams out on a sacrifice bunt to shallow infield, Austin Gomber to Mike Moustakas. 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). Your country's customs office can offer more details, or visit eBay's page on international trade. Abrams, the No. The Padres made a flurry of moves this afternoon, optioning shortstop C.J. The excitement regarding Padres prospect CJ Abrams is real. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. Free shipping. Unfortunately, theres a ton of swing-and-miss in the profile; the kind thats readily exploitable by seasoned pitchers. Abrams, acquired in Soto trade. Abrams selection to the Padres roster followed on the heels of a particularly torrid multi-week stretch. Since being traded to Washington heading into the 2021 season, hes a .278/.363/.483 hitter in a hair above 1000 plate appearances. Hes a lefty-hitting outfielder who brings a generally well-rounded center field profile. Thats certainly not a given, as both Lin and Acee hear that some with the Padres believe hed benefit from more time in the minors. For San Diego, there almost wasn't a price too high to make this trade happen. Even holding his head above water wouldve been impressive in that context, but Soto immediately stepped into the majors as of its best hitters. As Thompson (the younger brother of NBA star Klay Thompson) has been outrighted before, he can opt to become a free agent, though he may also choose to accept an assignment if he thinks another big-league opportunity with the Padres could present itself. Generate Trade Suggestions. Very athletic kid, hes tall and lean, said Wings manager Matt LeCroy. Top 100 prospect Julien called up by Twins. He can play all three outfield spots and gives the team a true fourth outfield type behindTrent Grisham in center field. 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. Theres question if the hit tool will play in the Majors, but the power is evident enough to easily support a low-average approach. In 568 2/3 career innings at shortstop, Garca has rated a staggering 19 runs below average by measure of Defensive Runs Saved. The clubs hope of cashing either in for future value at the trade deadline has come and gone, with both struggling so badly there was no real interest from contenders. 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. Neither development comes as a surprise. There was seemingly never any consideration on the Nats part to dealing him either last summer or over the offseason. Reports praise his top-of-the-scale speed and athleticism and excellent hit tool, although evaluators also suggest Abrams has a chance to hit for average or better power at peak. Returning to the pitching rumor mill, Paddack drew some attention from New Yorks other team last month, when the Yankees and Padres were discussing Luke Voit in trade talks. Im excited to get going and have fun with it.. If theyre not content with their internal outfield options, a trade may be the better way for the front office to go. Nate Colbert is the franchise leader in home runs, and Eric Show has more wins than any other pitcher in team history. The Washington Nationalsare calling up C.J. On the pitching side of the equation, San Diego is set to open the year with a starting group of Darvish,Joe Musgrove,Blake Snell,Mike Clevinger andNick Martnez. The former top-10 prospect made. He figures to see some action at each of shortstop, second base and in the outfield. His typical angle of contact is geared towards ground ball and line drive contact which could limit his home run production. That said, the Padres didnt shy away from putting Tatis on their Opening Day roster in 2019, and that was even before the new Collective Bargaining Agreement introduced the Prospect Promotion Incentive, which allows teams to potentially gain an extra draft pick if a top prospect spends an entire season on the active roster and has a high finish in awards balloting. The Friars presumably wont carry all four on the Opening Day roster, even with rosters expanded from 26 to 28 players in the early going, so its natural theyd be open to dealing from that group. Among players with 300+ plate appearances, only Tigers second basemanJonathan Schoop has a lower on-base percentage (.240) than Francos .255. Turning around a team with an NL-worst 35-69 record within the next two years wouldve been an immense challenge even with Soto on the roster, and the Nats are now fully embracing a rebuild thatll likely take multiple seasons. 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. San Diego sawTommy Pham depart in free agency, leavingJurickson Profar and the newly-acquiredMatt Beaty among the favorites for playing time in left. . While he possesses considerable raw power, his swing has qualities that some might describe as grooved. Abrams, one of the main returns in the Juan Soto trade, the team announced on Monday. 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. 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. For as aggressive as Prellers been over his eight years running baseball ops, hes never had a two-day stretch like this. Shortstops are hard to find and he sure does look the part.. Abrams returns to the big leagues a bit more than five weeks after being optioned out. The Padres enter play Tuesday with a 58-46 record. Voit is arbitration-eligible through 2024, although he may be a non-tender candidate, since hed otherwise be due a raise on this years $5.45MM salary. Since then, I rediscovered the initial note, and it comes from a highly reputable source with access to dozens of scouts. Nationals call up C.J. The lesser ball in play results do reflect a slight downturn in his batted ball quality, but Sotos batted ball metrics and exit velocities are better than his actual batting average and slugging output might suggest. Alongside the two big leaguers, the Nationals bring in a trio of highly-regarded prospects. (AAA numbers) 247 PA, 9 HR, 11 SB, .232/.336/.422. Soto finished in the top ten in NL MVP balloting each season, including a runner-up finish last year. Abrams is a consensus top prospect, ranked among the sports 15 most talented minor leaguers by each of Baseball America, The Athletic, FanGraphs, ESPN and MLB Pipeline. Abrams is considered by some as the key player who was acquired by the Washington Nationals in the blockbuster trade that sent superstar outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to San Diego last week for five up-and-coming players and first baseman Luke Voit. Given Corbins struggles, its hard to envision the Nationals getting out from under any of that money. $1.99. Robert Hassell III Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's new twice-a-week newsletter, Bills Blast, please follow this link:https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast. 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. CJ Abrams went 3-for-5 at the plate for the . Kim will likely take over primary duties there for the time being, with the recently claimedSergioAlcntaraas his understudy. for. Abrams should take over regular shortstop duty for now, with Garcia eventually slotting in next to him at the keystone whenever his groin heals. The Nationals had reportedly set an asking price of five-plus young major leaguers and/or prospects in any Soto talks, and thats what theyll receive. Bell is one of the more well-rounded hitters in the sport. 'He's special:' Chourio walks off in first multihomer effort. Through 436 plate appearances, hes hitting .246/.408/.485. Azocar isnt anywhere near the caliber of prospect Abrams is, but hell likewise be making his big league debut whenever he gets into a game. Abrams, who had only two errors in 32 games for the Padres, was cited by Baseball America as the best defensive infielder (2021-22) and best athlete (2020-22) in San Diegos minor league system. Learn more here. Soto wouldn't have even become the highest-paid player on the Nationals since Stephen Strasburg's seven-year contract pays him $35 million each year through 2026. 3 months ago One of the significant returns for the Washington Nationals in the trade for Juan Soto, shortstop CJ Abrams is primed for a big year at the plate. Unlike most power hitters of his ilk, Bell also brings strong bat-to-ball skills to the table. He hit .214/.241/.250 over the last week and is at .191/.257/.324 for the month. Washington received shortstop C.J. Abrams missed four days of Grapefruit League action with tightness in his back, but the 22-year-old shortstop returned to action on Sunday afternoon, playing five innings against the Detroit . Still have stuff in boxes [from February], he said with a laugh. Collect, trade and play with CJ Abrams Sorare Cards available in different scarcities and own your game The jury may still be out on Garcas offensive upside, but its apparent hes miscast as a shortstop. Zac Veen, 20, OF, Rockies (A+) 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. Abrams checked in as the games #11 prospect on Baseball Americas recent top 100, with the outlet reaffirming that his bat-to-ball skills and athleticism give him a chance to be a franchise shortstop. Abrams is the youngest member of the Nats starting lineup, born 4 1/2 months after second baseman Luis Garca. San Diego originally selected Abrams with the sixth overall pick in the 2019 draft out of a Georgia high school. BA suggests he could be a middle-of-the-order bat capable of swatting 30-plus homers annually at his peak. Our goal is to put out the highest-quality content and tools. 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. 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. Lin writes that manager Bob Melvin has already ruled out the possibility of moving second basemanJake Cronenworth off the position, something the organization considered but never tried last offseason. For his career, Soto boasts a .291/.427/.538 slash line along with a .966 OPS and a 158 OPS+, per Baseball Reference. Per Rosenthal, Washington took the step after Soto declined a 15-year, $440 million offer. Picture Information. When Tim Dierkes suggested I run this column, Cruz was his first example of the type of player he wanted to see covered. Gore is likely to eclipse a full year of service in 2022, putting him on track to potentially reach free agency after the 2027 campaign. 2022 ABSOLUTE Colton Welker TOOLS OF THE TRADE AUTO #/199 #TT2S-CW (#314339621253) 4***4 (266) - Feedback left by buyer 4***4 (266). Abrams,. The native of Roswell, Georgia, who was San Diegos first-round draft pick in 2019 (No. Anytime hes in the lineup, Cruz is one of the most fascinating players in the league. He impressed there last year, hitting .296/.363/.420 with a pair of home runs and 13 stolen bases, but his season was cut short when he fractured his left tibia in late June. Oneil Cruz, 23, SS, Pirates (MLB) 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. Hes also making a strong case for promotion to Triple-A possibly by the end of this month. Optioned to Triple-A El Paso midway through the year, he responded with a .314/.364/.507 showing through 30 games to earn another MLB call. Oakland A's outfielder Ramon Laureano went hitless in three at-bats Friday after missing three games with groin tightness. Nationals third. Only includes games started. Yet as with the catching surplus, there may at least be enough depth for president of baseball operations A.J. Austin Nola is the presumptive starter. Chris Schommer. 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. Picture 1 of 2. . Hes now followed up with the kind of blockbuster thatll define his front office tenure. After reaching minor league free agency, he landed with the Padres on a minors deal last winter. Dealing from their depth in either area wouldnt necessarily mean the Padres bring back a big league caliber outfielder in return, but it seems the front office is at least open to exploring those possibilities. Abrams brings a lot to the table, and despite his minimal experience in the minors, he looks to be ready for . San Diego's infield depth makes Abrams an interesting trade chip and one who could lessen the prospect burden should Preller feel the need to swing another big deal. C.J. Abrams seems pretty comfortable with his role in one of the biggest MLB trade, https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. (K.C. 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. (K.C. However, San Diego has made a concerted effort to turn its reputation around. Not only does he have limited experience against high level pitching, Abrams has never played a professional inning outside of the middle infield. Melvin acknowledged this afternoon he might give Abrams some consideration behind Grisham in center field (Acee link). Brennan then dribbled a check-swing grounder to shortstop CJ Abrams, who had little choice but to take the out at first even though Washington had its infield in. Its only fitting to touch upon Cruz one more time. At 22 years old, Abrams has a lot on . Kiley McDaniel at ESPN is the most bullish of the group, slotting Abrams fourth among the sports prospects. Thats a temporary measure designed to afford the left-hander more time to work with pitching coach Jim Hickey, and the club is apparently not considering permanently removing Corbin from the starting five. So, Ill let you read what Eric Longenhagen has to say directly. 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