While the Boston Red Sox were bounced from the 2026 postseason quickly, they did do a good job of adding talent ahead of the trade deadline.

Boston added a clear-cut superstar in Adley Rutschman, a power bat potential in Curtis Mead and a solid bench outfielder in Eli White, among others. The moves that Boston made this past summer are going to have a massive impact on how well the club does in 2027. So, while the playoffs didn't go well this year, Boston set itself up for success beyond. Plus, it'll be interesting to see how Boston handles the trade market this winter. There were other players Boston pursued, but didn't get deals done with, like CJ Abrams of the Washington Nationals, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic.

"According to league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss negotiations, Boston checked in on the Los Angeles Angels’ Zach Neto and the Washington Nationals’ CJ Abrams, but the team decided the asking price for those players, which included [Franklin Arias] and more, was too high," McCaffrey wrote.

Around the trade deadline, it was Neto who was talked about a lot more. Reports and rumors swirled left and right about the Los Angeles Angels shortstop being connected to Boston. Abrams didn't get the same level of buzz. But he absolutely should have. Arguably, Abrams is the better player of the two.

CJ Abrams Is A Star

In 2026, Abrams played in 152 games for the Nationals and slashed .261/.336/.497 with an .834 OPS, 33 home runs, 106 RBIs, 34 stolen bases, 30 doubles and four triples. A 30-30-30 season is absurd. Plus, he's just 26 years old and has two more seasons of control left.

Neto is a very good player in his own right. He hit 27 home runs, drove in 77 runs, tallied 31 doubles and slashed .239/.330/.436 in 157 games played. Neto has three seasons left of team control.

When the offseason really starts to heat up, it wouldn't be a shock to see more rumors connecting Boston to shortstops. Ahead of the trade deadline, the noise was so loud that it seemed like some sort of deal would get done. Right now, the Red Sox still have Trevor Story. Plus, top prospect Franklin Arias could be an option. But if the Red Sox don't believe either is the best option to begin the 2027 season, then the idea of a trade would make sense again. If Boston goes searching, Abrams should be the guy. It's good to know Boston had interest in the past and now Abrams has less control left, which arguably should lower an asking price for him.

If a club acquired Abrams this past summer, they would've had him for two full seasons of control, plus the stretch run. Now, there are just two seasons of control left. No one met the Nationals' asking price this past summer. Clearly, it was too high. If the price is lower now and the Red Sox are still looking, they should call Washington again.