Josiah Gray and Robert Hassell III demoted in the latest round of Nationals roster cuts
Paul Toboni and Washington Nationals just sent a couple of big names down to AAA as they trim the roster down to 26
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 28: Josiah Gray #40 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the first inning of a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 28, 2024 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images) | Getty Images After sending Harry Ford to Triple-A yesterday, the Nats sent a couple more big names to Rochester. This morning, the team announced that Josiah Gray, Robert Hassell III and Julian Fernandez had been sent to Triple-A, while Zach Penrod has been reassigned to minor league camp.
Obviously, Hassell and Gray are the biggest names here, and we will break down why they are starting the season in Rochester. The Nationals have made the following roster moves: Optioned to Triple-A Rochester: -RHP Julian Fernandez -RHP Josiah Gray -OF Robert Hassell III Reassigned to Minor League camp: -LHP Zach Penrod — Nationals Communications (@NationalsComms) March 19, 2026 While Hassell’s demotion will be a surprise to some, it was not a huge shock to me. The Nats have a very deep pool of outfielders, and Hassell was on the outside looking in.
There are a lot of mouths to feed between James Wood, Daylen Lile, Dylan Crews, Jacob Young, Hassell, Christian Franklin and even Joey Wiemer. The fact that Hassell is left handed may have hurt him. With Wood and Lile being lefties, the Nats may have wanted a right handed bench outfielder.
Christian Franklin and Joey Wiemer are both good against left handed pitching, so that may have given them the edge. Hassell also struggled pretty heavily in his first taste of big league action, with a . 572 OPS.