The Nationals shortstop is doing everything he can to make the front office's decision impossible. Abrams went deep twice against Colorado, part of a stretch that's turned every scouting call about Washington into a conversation that starts and ends with him.
Jersey Jerry called his shot on Abrams as the MLB Pick of the Day before the first ball was even thrown.
Turns out the pick hit. Abrams came out of the gate hot at Coors Field, working his way into scoring position early and setting the tone for a Nationals offense that's been clicking against Colorado pitching.
Abrams cruising into second base was the first sign it was going to be his night.
Then came the home run that actually mattered for the trade conversation. With the scoreboard knotted at 4, Abrams took Rockies pitcher Michael Lorenzen deep to keep Washington in it -- the kind of at-bat that's exactly why rival front offices keep calling about him.
PFT Commenter watched the homer land and posted the Nats' non-negotiable price tag in real time.
That's the tension defining Abrams' summer. He's 25, reportedly on his way to a second straight All-Star nod, and still has two more years of club control after this one -- exactly the profile that has the Braves, Yankees, Rays and Blue Jays checking in, according to reports. But per ESPN's Jeff Passan, Washington isn't entertaining anything short of an overwhelming package, and insiders have pegged the odds of an actual deal getting done as low with the Nationals still hanging around the playoff picture.
Steven Cheah, who's been tracking the pick all night, summed up the obvious: two bombs is two bombs, whatever the front office decides to do with him.
Steven Cheah tipped his cap to the pick after Abrams' second homer of the night.
CJ Abrams homered twice tonight. What a pick @Blutman27/@Jerrythekid21
None of this makes the decision at the deadline any easier for Washington. Every homer raises Abrams' price and his profile, which is either exactly why they should cash in now or exactly why they never will. For a rebuilding club that just landed him in the Juan Soto blockbuster, moving on from the guy playing like a franchise cornerstone would be a hell of a gamble -- one they don't look ready to make yet.