MLB Trade Rumors confirmed it on July 12: the Nationals have outrighted outfielder Robert Hassell III off the 40-man roster, the next step after Washington designated him for assignment on July 5 to clear a spot for reliever Eddy Yean. He went unclaimed on waivers, which means he sticks around in the organization's minor league system for now, but the move also puts him on track to become a minor league free agent at season's end if Washington doesn't protect him again.
MLB Trade Rumors put the transaction on the record.
It's a rough landing spot for a guy who was once considered one of the crown jewels of a franchise-altering trade. Hassell was San Diego's No. 8 overall pick in the 2020 draft before he, CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore, James Wood, Luke Voit and Jarlin Susana all landed in Washington on August 2, 2022, in exchange for Juan Soto and Josh Bell. At the time, Hassell was pitched as the polished, high-floor bat of the return — an All-Star in the California League and a Futures Game invite before he ever got to the majors.
The problem is everybody else in that package took off and Hassell didn't. Abrams is an everyday shortstop, Wood is a middle-of-the-order force, Gore is a frontline starter — and Hassell has been stuck trying to find his swing in the upper minors. He was hitting just .215/.304/.289 with 2 home runs and 21 RBI in 63 games at Triple-A Rochester this season, a steep drop from a .310 season with 10 homers and 49 RBI a year ago, and that kind of regression is exactly why he became the odd man out once the 40-man got tight.
Getting outrighted doesn't end his career, but it's a real signal. He's now outside the organization's 40-man plans, which strips away any lingering fantasy relevance and puts a clock on his path back to the big leagues. Barring a trade or a waiver claim down the line, he'll keep grinding in Rochester with minor league free agency looming as his next real crossroads — a quiet, unceremonious footnote for a player who was supposed to be part of the next great Nationals core.