Where SF Giants can now pivot after CJ Abrams embarrassment

The SF Giants have had a quiet offseason, but apparently they have tried to make a big move recently. Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported that the Giants made an aggressive push for Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams.

The Nationals had been shopping Abrams who was an All-Star in 2024 and slashed .257/.315/.433 with 19 home runs and 60 runs batted in last season.

Apparently, the Giants offered one of their top prospects, Josuar Gonzalez, but the Nationals were not interested. Baggarly named other prospects the Giants dangled like Carson Whisenhunt, Jacob Bresnahan, Jhonny Level, and Bo Davidson, but the Nationals were not intrigued enough to make a move. Baggarly writes: "Even if the Giants offered all five players for Abrams, it’s unclear whether the Nationals would have accepted."

It is a bit embarrassing for the Giants as it shows other teams do not think all that highly of the team's farm system even though they have made improvements in recent years.

Now, the Giants will have to look elsewhere to improve the roster so here are three players the Giants can make a play for after being rebuffed by Washington.

3 players SF Giants can pursue after failing to land CJ Abrams

Harrison Bader

Baggarly mentions Bader as a potential player the Giants can pivot to. He fits what the Giants need defensively in the outfield although he does have a history of getting hurt and his strong offensive campaign in 2025 may have been an aberration.

He reportedly wants a three-year contract which would be a bit of a commitment, but at this point the Giants may be desperate to make a meaningful addition to the lineup.

Luis Arraez

Another player Baggarly mentions is Luis Arraez. The infielder is a three-time batting champ and he is a pretty perfect fit for what the Giants need more of in the lineup.

He is a contact-first hitter who would bring some balance to a lineup that has a lot of swing and miss in it. He hit .292 in what was considered a bit of a down year by his standards.

Buster Posey has emphasized putting the ball in play more and the Giants have yet to do that consistently. Arraez would help rectify that even if he is limited defensively.

Brendan Donovan

While Nico Hoerner is a better player and perhaps a more ideal fit given his Bay Area ties, he will be tougher to land since the Chicago Cubs are planning on contending in 2026.

That is why St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan is a more realistic fit and, like Arraez, would bring more contact to the lineup.

We will see how aggressive the Giants want to be after being rebuffed by Washington, but maybe they can land one of these players so they at least have something to point to as a meaningful position player addition this offseason.