Washington Nationals infielder CJ Abrams wasn't pleased when he found out he would be moving from shortstop to second base, even though he agreed to make the switch because it was best for the team.
"I think, first, CJ was not thrilled about the decision to move him off shortstop at this time," Abrams agent, Mike Sanders, told The Athletic's Spencer Nusbaum. "But his priority is to win games for the Nationals and to be a team-first player, so that is what he's going to do."
On Friday, the Nationals informed Abrams he would transition to second base over the final weeks of the season, with Nasim Nuñez taking over at shortstop.
The move comes during a campaign where Abrams has posted minus-17 outs above average, the worst mark among big-league shortstops, according to Baseball Savant.
"If I'm CJ, of course I'm upset," Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni said. "It'd be weird if he wasn't. CJ has been a shortstop for his whole life, and it's a huge part of his baseball identity. If I didn't sense he was upset, I'd be worried that he wasn't being real with us."
Abrams is also in the midst of a breakout offensive campaign for the Nationals, sitting second in the majors in RBIs and sixth in offensive rating, according to FanGraphs.
The two-time All-Star is under club control for two more seasons before he's eligible for free agency.
