The Toronto Blue Jays have some work to do to return to the World Series in 2026. Step one is complete by locking in strikeout guru Dylan Cease. In addition to reaching into the MLB free agent relief pitching market, a decision needs to be made about Bo Bichette.

Unfortunately for the Blue Jays, it takes two to tango. Toronto wants Bichette to return, but if he doesn’t see things the same way, it simply won’t happen.

However, there is hope for the Blue Jays. If Bichette moves on to another team, they can “steal” a top trade candidate in CJ Abrams.

With the Bichette situation seeming uncertain, the Blue Jays can cover all of their bases (pun intended) by adding another infielder. Luckily, they have recently been linked to the Washington Nationals‘ Abrams.

MoccBomb has taken to X to share a report regarding the Nationals’ two main trade chips: infielder Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

“Many execs believe #Nationals will make a big move this offseason. They believe Toboni will part with either SP MacKenzie Gore or SS CJ Abrams, potentially both,” MoccBomb wrote on November 30th. “Gore will be highly coveted by many teams. Including #Giants #Cubs #Orioles #RedSox and many others. Abrams, on the other hand, will be interesting as many teams view him more as a 2B. I’d expect #Braves #Reds #BlueJays to be in on him.”

“#BlueJays if they aren’t able to resign Bo, makes lots of sense. Giménez would slide to SS, and CJ would handle 2B.”

During the World Series, the Blue Jays put Bichette at second base when he returned from injury. Andres Gimenez occupied shortstop during the postseason and could continue that deployment in 2026.

The Chances of a CJ Abrams Trade

One MLB Insider reports that the Nationals have a decent chance of trading Abrams. Jeff Passan revealed the buzz on Abrams and the one catch.

“Abrams made his first All-Star team in 2024 and followed with a nearly identical 2025. And at just 25, he’s in his prime,” Passan wrote on December 2nd, 2025. “So why isn’t he higher on this list? His defense at shortstop is not good, and the Nationals — with a dearth of quality big league players — will not trade one to teams unwilling to pay a premium for his age, position, and control.”

Abrams has a 35 percent chance of getting traded, according to Passan. He believes that the San Francisco Giants, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Cleveland Guardians.

Despite not having great defensive metrics at shortstop, Abrams could occupy second base (as MoccBomb suggests). Every player has flaws, and it’s on the coaching staff to mitigate those deficiencies through deployment and in-season tweaking.

Bichette wasn’t known for his defense, so replacing him with Abrams isn’t a drop off defensively.

The One Thing Abrams Excels at That Bichette Doesn’t

What makes Abrams a “steal” for the Blue Jays is something he does better than Bichette. The 25-year-old infielder is a great baserunner.

Abrams finished 2025 with the 14th-most stolen bases (31). This is an element amongst the Blue Jays’ bats that’s absent.

George Springer led the Blue Jays in stolen bases. The Designated Hitter collected 18 stolen bases in 140 games.

That isn’t the only foothold that Abrams has over Bichette. Both batters had similar at-bats (Abrams-580, Bichette-582) and similar home runs (Abrams-19, Bichette-18).

However, Bichette managed to collect 94 RBIs to Abrams 60 RBIs. While Bichette is the better hitter, having the footspeed of Abrams should be a tempting proposition for the Blue Jays. Bichette had four stolen bases to Abrams previously mentioned 31 stolen bases.

If the Blue Jays are going to move on from Bichette (or Bichette move on from Toronto), they could do a lot worse than Abrams.