Former MLB executive reveals strange reason Nationals sent CJ Abrams to Triple-A

At first, it didn’t make much sense why the Washington Nationals traded All-Star shortstop C.J. Abrams to Triple-A Rochester on Saturday. The Triple-A season ends Sunday, and the Nationals — already eliminated from playoff contention — have just eight games left.

However, one former MLB executive has come up with a possible reason behind Washington’s surprising decision.

Jim Bowden, former Nationals general manager, said Saturday that Abrams was out until 8 a.m. at the Bally Casino ahead of Friday’s 1 p.m. CT game against the Chicago Cubs. Abrams was 0-for-3 with a walk in that game, which the Nationals lost 3-1.

CJ Abrams has had 8 of his last 17…NL All-Star was voted today. Why? Because according to witnesses he was out until 8am at Bally Casino before the 1pm game. #Compatriots The President/GM said it was not under his watch and that he was relegated to a lower league.

— Jim Bowden ⚾️ (@JimBowdenGM) September 21, 2024

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo addressed the reports before Saturday’s game.

“We are all aware of the report, but other than that it is an internal issue that we will keep within the family,” Rizzo said (via Athletic).

Abrams, once considered one of the top prospects in all of baseball, was named an All-Star for the first time in 2024 after posting a .268/.343/.489 average with 15 homeruns and 48 RBIs in his first 89 games. However, the 23-year-old cooled off significantly in the second half of the season, posting a .203/.260/.326 slash line with just five homeruns in 49 games.

Of course, it appears that Abrams’ struggles since the All-Star break are not the primary reason for his demotion. Abrams was 10-for-21 (.476 batting average) with three doubles and a homerun in his final six games before being sent down to Triple-A.

The Nationals, who will miss the playoffs for the fifth straight time since winning the World Series in 2019, will finish the season with two more games against the Cubs and a pair of three-game series with the Kansas City Royals and Philadelphia Phillies.