Nationals Shut Down Wood Trade Rumors | Washington Nationals News

**Corey** (0:00)
On July 15th, so there were some rumors floating around about the Nationals potentially trading outfielder James Wood. This came up in a report, but Paul Toboni, an executive with the team, stepped in to shut that down directly. He actually went to the batting cages during the MLB draft and told Wood himself that there's no truth to any trade talks. Toboni mentioned that while they can't tell players everything, they make an effort to be transparent about what's being reported.
This approach is about building trust, and they've used it before with other players like MacKenzie Gore when there was outside interest. The goal is to make sure the players know what's real and what's just noise. Now, it's worth noting that the team has had some conversations about shortstop CJ Abrams and they've kept him in the loop on that. There was even a significant push from another team in the off season to acquire him, though nothing came of it. But with James Wood, the situation is different. Wood has been a standout player for the Nationals. He's been an All-Star twice in a row, and his stats this season are impressive, with a high on-base plus slugging percentage and a good number of home runs and RBIs. He's considered a key part of the team's future.
Ultimately, the Nationals want to be a place where players feel valued and want to stay.
By directly addressing these rumors with Wood, Toboni is reinforcing that commitment and showing that the team is focused on building trust and keeping their core players. That wraps Washington Nationals News Today brought to you with AI. I'm Corey with the story.