Insider Warns About Possible 'Negative Outcome' for Washington Nationals Star

One of the Washington Nationals insiders is warning that there could be some lingering effects surrounding what took place for one of the team's stars last year.

Sep 19, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams (5) smiles after scoring against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Everything is feeling rosy for the Washington Nationals right now.

Even though the front office decided to not be aggressive this winter when it came to aggressively pursuing upgrades that could potentially push them out of a rebuild, the positivity surrounding the state of this young core is something the fan base hasn't felt in a while.

It's been a trying time for the Nationals since they won the World Series in 2019, but with a crop of star prospects all hitting the Majors at the same time, they could develop into a long-term powerhouse if everything goes as planned.

One of the players who is the face of the franchise right now is CJ Abrams.

Acquired in the Juan Soto deal as one of the headliners, he broke through during the first half of last season when he was selected to his first-ever All-Star Game.

But, he struggled following the Midsummer Classic and was even demoted to the minors to close the year because he was caught being out at a casino before a day game.

Washington has said all the right things when it comes to that situation, but Mark Zuckerman of MASN is cautioning fans from thinking everything is all good after that strange state of affairs took place.

"It's impossible to say with any confidence at this point what we can expect from him in 2025. If he comes back strong and finds a way to sustain success over six months, he could put together a fantastic season. But if he doesn't handle his situation well and comes to camp with a bad taste still in his mouth, it could really go south ... The positive development feels more plausible, but you can't rule out the possibility of the negative outcome here," he wrote.

That certainly is an interesting take not many are mentioning.

While Abrams could handle everything well, admitting his mistake and getting ready to work again, there have been other circumstances that have set players off for far less than this.

How he handles everything will be seen soon.

Spring Training is right around the corner, and even though the organization seems excited about what they are putting on the field, if there's any residual negativity lingering about what transpired last year, that could become an issue.