An MLB insider wants the Los Angeles Dodgers to make a huge splash after falling short of their three-peat bid. Former general manager Jim Bowden pitched a seismic blockbuster trade that would send two young stars to LA. Bowden floated a deal in which the Dodgers acquire shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder James Wood from the Washington Nationals.
Abrams has two more years of arbitration remaining, and Wood won't reach free agency until 2031. Bowden still thinks the Nationals could act now for a big return, as they did in 2022 when they landed the duo and more from the San Diego Padres for Juan Soto. "The Nationals have been unable or unwilling to sign James Wood and CJ Abrams to long-term contracts, although they've tried," Bowden noted on GM Territory.
"If they're not going to sign them to long-term contracts, they can't let them go to free agency. And instead, like they did with Juan Soto, they need to make a blockbuster trade with one or both of them." Meanwhile, the move would extend the Dodgers' championship window by adding two young multi-time All-Stars to the lineup. "If the Dodgers can get Abrams or Wood, that would completely change this franchise," Bowden said.
It would be more athletic. The speed and power speaks for itself. And imagine these two guys with future Hall of Famers Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani." Of course, landing Wood and Abrams won't be cheap.
Bowden has the Dodgers giving up starting pitchers Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski, catcher Dalton Rushing, and star outfielder prospects Josue De Paula and Mike Sirota. Sheehan and Wrobleski, a 2026 All-Star, could join Washington's rotation instantly. Rushing registered a .788 OPS in 80 games this season, and De Paula reached base 21 times in 11 games as a September call-up.
"This is a huge pay by the Dodgers, but they're getting two young players in their prime that they can keep long-term," Bowden explained. "So when Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts move on, they're the next two guys to kind of take their place. In the meantime, they get to make a run with them."
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