The Washington Nationals made a surprising move on Saturday, optioning star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues. At first, he looked like it could be performance-based due to Abrams not playing as well as he previously had.
But it has since come out that he was demoted due to breaking a team rule. He was apparently seen violating curfew by being at a casino until 8 a.m. The Nationals had a game against the Chicago Cubs during the day that started at 1 p.m. CT.
He will now be sent to West Plam Beach where the Nationals’ minor league complex is held.
Nationals manager Dave Martinez confirmed that the demotion of Abrams wasn’t performance-based when speaking to the media.
“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”
Abrams was one of the centerpieces in the trade that sent star outfielder Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres two years ago. He had put together an incredible first half of the season with Washington, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases through the first 89 games.
It was enough to earn him his first All-Star game designation but since he has heavily struggled to maintain his consistency. In the second half of the year, he has slashed .203/.260/.326, with his defense being a major weakness.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 20: Elly De La Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds and CJ Abrams #5 of the Washington Nationals talk near second base during the first inning at Nationals Park on July 20, 2024 in Washington, DC. Abrams was sent to the minor leagues.
Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images
Abrams won’t have his service time with the Nationals altered due to this demotion since he has been with the team throughout the entire season. He has exceeded the threshold for earning a full year of service time with over 172 days on the major league roster.
With him scheduled to miss the final week of the regular season, he will lose some of his salary. He is expected to miss around $30,000 of his $752,000 for the demotion but he could file a grievance with MLB Players Association.
With the Nationals out of playoff contention, this demotion of Abrams won’t change their outcome. But it could change some other races as Washington is scheduled to face the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies in their final two series. Both teams are fighting for playoff seeding, making this absence of Abrams in the Washington lineup apparent.
The hope is that Abrams will learn from this mistake and continue to put together a solid career in baseball.
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