"This is our team now" - CJ Abrams issues bold claims about life at Nationals after Juan Soto's departure

The Washington Nationals, without Juan Soto, are trying to get back to the top after they last won the World Series in 2019. Following that, the team hit a hard wall, resulting in the exit of multiple stars in subsequent seasons as they looked to build a contending team for the future.

One of the transactions involved star slugger Soto, whom they sent to the San Diego Padres ahead of the 2022 trade deadline. In exchange, they received two current stars of the Nationals: CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore.

Ahead of Monday's game between the Nationals and the Padres, Abrams reflected on the 2022 trade, embracing the Nationals.

“It was an opportunity when we came over here. This is our team now. We’re doing our thing," Abrams said via Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Gore talked about each player's positive spirit, which is why they are surprisingly doing well this season.

“We have a really good group of guys and we want to win for each other,” Gore said.

“I think that’s why we’ve had the success we’ve had. It’s still early. It’s June. We have a lot of games left … but it’s been fun being part of this group and watching these guys get better.”

The Nationals (38-39) are lurking around the .500 mark this season after losing 91 and 107 games respectively in the last two years.

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Juan Soto "never wanted to leave" Washington Nationals

Now a New York Yankees star, Juan Soto wanted to be a one-team player for the rest of his career, like Derek Jeter and Clayton Kershaw, to name a few.

However, as fate would have it, he was traded to the Padres in 2022, and ahead of the 2024 season, he was dealt to the Yankees. Early during this offseason, Juan Soto claimed that he never wanted to leave Washington but understood the circumstances.

"I never wanted to leave Washington," Soto told The Athletic in an interview published on Wednesday morning. "It was a great team. I knew everybody there, from the bottom all the way to the top. I was really comfortable, and it felt like home for me. I was happy. I had a house in Washington. I was really comfortable up there.

He added:

"Out of nowhere, they made that decision. They thought it was the best thing for the team. I just respected it because they were really clear with me.

"That’s one of the things I really respected from (general manager Mike) Rizzo. He was really clear about the trade stuff. But definitely I never thought I was going to leave D.C. I was really thinking I was going to stay there for my whole career."

Juan Soto's career journey is a reflection of the downside of being a star in a losing team. Despite your desire to remain there, the club is thinking about the future, leading to the exit of star players.