CJ Abrams’ demotion was in his ‘best interest’ after all-night casino trip, says Nationals GM Mike Rizzo

Only five games remain in the 2024 season for the Washington Nationals, who will play their last eight games without All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams. Abrams was demoted to the minors this past Saturday after staying out at a casino until 8 a.m. the morning of an afternoon game against the Cubs in Chicago. Manager Davey Martinez said the demotion was not “performance-based,” instead calling it an “internal issue.”

On Wednesday, GM Mike Rizzo reiterated the demotion was not about Abrams’ on-field work during an interview with 106.7 The Fan, though he declined to confirm the casino story. Rizzo said the demotion “was in the best interest of the player and the organization,” and added Abrams remains a big part of the team’s future. Here’s what Rizzo said Wednesday (via the Washington Post):

“He was optioned to Triple-A, like a lot of players are. I’m just going to tell you what we’ve said in the media before, is that it was not performance-based. We felt it was in the best interest of the player and the organization to do so. It’s an internal issue that we’re going to keep Internal. It’s a family matter that we keep in the family. Suffice to say, it’s not the end of the world for CJ. It’s not the end of the world for the Nationals. It’s something that happens over the course of time, especially with young players. And we love CJ. We care for CJ. We’re in constant communication with he and his agent. And we still have a great relationship, and it’s something that we felt was needed for him and the organization …

“We have a standard here with the Nationals. We’ve had it for a lot of years and when players don’t reach those standards, we have to do what’s in the best interest of the organization. But often, these things are done with the best interest of the player involved. And certainly in this situation, the interest of CJ Abrams was first and foremost in our mind, and we felt it rose to not where we wanted to be with the Nats. I always say, and it’s very pollyannaish at times, but we really do, sincerely do, care about the name on the front of the jersey more than the name on the back of the jersey. And that’s a constant we have here. It’s about teamwork and being a great teammate and that type of thing. When players fail to reach those standards, we have to do something to get them back into the mode of Nationals and teammate and big leagues and that type of thing. We felt it was warranted in this case. But like I said, not the end of the world. Not the end of CJ Abrams. Not the end of the Nats. It’s part of the process, especially on young rebuilding teams that these things happen. It’s not the first time we’ve done It here with the Nationals, and probably, unfortunately won’t be the last.”

Rizzo added the Nationals do not have a curfew for their players because they are adults, though they are expected to conduct themselves like big-leaguers and be prepared to perform. Obviously Abrams did not live up to those standards, so the Nationals demoted him for the final eight games of the season. The demotion will cost him approximately $36,000 in salary.

Abrams, 26 next week, finished the season hitting .246/.314/.433 with 20 home runs and 31 stolen bases. He leads the team with 3.4 WAR. Abrams struggled badly in the second half, though, again, Rizzo and the Nationals insist that did not play a role in the demotion. Rookie and Rule 5 draft pick Nasim Nuñez has taken over at shortstop since Abrams was demoted.

There are no service-time ramifications to the demotion. Abrams had already spent enough days on the MLB roster this season to accrue a full year of service time. Nothing changes with regard to his eligibility for arbitration and free agency down the line. Abrams loses about a week’s worth of salary and also has the shame of being demoted the same year he was an All-Star.

At 69-88, the Nationals have already clinched a losing record, their fifth straight since winning the 2019 World Series.