The Nationals have released left-hander Seth Romero after he was charged with driving while intoxicated in Texas, reports Jesse Dougherty of The Washington Post. This is Romero’s second DWI charge of year, with the first coming in January.
Romero is a former first-round pick. Despite being twice suspended and eventually dismissed from the University of Houston baseball team during the spring of his draft year, the southpaw landed in Washington with the 25th overall pick in the 2017 draft. Baseball America’s scouting report at the time noted Romero could’ve gone in the top 10 if not for questions about his maturity level, as he boasted a mid-90s fastball with an excellent slider.
The 6’3″ hurler was slowed by injuries on his way up the minor league ladder, including a 2020 surgery to repair a right hand fracture and an extended absence to start this past season on account of a left calf strain. Romero did make it to the big leagues in Washington but only briefly, appearing in three games and tossing 2 2/3 innings of relief during the shortened 2020 season. His fastball averaged just 91.7 MPH in short stints, a notable dip from where he’d sat at the peak of his prospect hype.
Romero had held his spot on Washington’s 40-man roster until today, although he’s spent the past two years either on the injured list or on optional assignment to the minor leagues. He made five starts this year at Double-A Harrisburg, allowing six runs and walking 11 but striking out 25 in 13 2/3 innings. His upper minors inconsistency could’ve had him on the roster bubble this winter independent of the legal issues he’s now facing, but the Nationals decided to officially move on after he was reportedly arrested yesterday. He’ll be placed on waivers and, if he goes unclaimed, will become a free agent.
The move opens a spot on the Nationals 40-man roster. That count now sits at 38 heading into tomorrow’s deadline to add players to the roster to keep them from selection in the Rule 5 draft.
You don’t say DUI anymore?
Different states define it differently.
“Under influence” and “while intoxicated” have 2 different meanings. One can be under the influence (as defined by a smaller amount) yet not meet the standard of “intoxication” because that can be more subjective.
White Sox need a lefty pitcher!
Somebody take #1’s keys away.
Not this one.
Last thing you need is another drunk driver in Chicago
2 in less than a year. Depending on what state this was in he might be serving jail time.
2 DWIs in your lifetime?
That’s not jail time. That’s a prerequisite to manage the White Sox
Buckle up buckaroos
Kangaroos for our Aussie friends..
Nobody with any $ will do jail time on a 2nd dui unless they hurt someone. I know 2 people who got 3 in CA in quick succession and spent over 50K each to stay out of the slam..
How do you know he has money? He might have blown it all at the bar.
Look at how light the sentence was for the KC coaches kid. Reid. NFL sorry for cross sporting. Shoulda got ten to life
007, I don’t even remember that one. I’ll look it up. The Raiders player Henry Ruggs stands out. His trial is going to be delayed for a few more decades apparently.
Pre requisite to being a Raider … minimum one felony charge in your lifetime
Look up Reid. Previous convictions etc
if he lives in any state he wont do jailtime
Jayson Werth did 10 days in jail for just driving fast.
well some say that is worse
Jim Leyritz also had a doozy of an accident dwi on Fla
Werth just drove on the shoulder all the way to the park. That DC traffic can be rough.
he drove over 100 mph in the shoulder? hard to fathom.
Depending on what state this was in, two DUIs is just the first steps to becoming a career politician.
There has been a rise in “don’t you know who I am” videos from traffic stops hitting the web in recent years.
CC: Atlanta Braves & Chicago White Sox
Larussa quit, pal.
Oh, okay. That absolves the White Sox completely. My apologies.
I know what you were trying to say. It wasn’t as clever as you think it was. Because I’d say just about every MLB team has at one time had someone in trouble with the law. So you might as well CC every MLB team.
Sorry that I’m making you reckon with the fact that your favorite baseball team hired a knowingly awful human being as manager.
Not a sox fan sorry and I was against the Ozuna signing before he even beat his wife or got a dui. You aren’t very bright.
Seethe and cry some more. Lib tears taste great.
Leave Sabathia out of this
lol why do bozos like yourself have to bring politics into everything. So weird.
Most people are complicated and not all good or bad. LaRussa has donated lots of time and money to support animal rescues, including his own organization. He also has an alcohol problem and remained quiet when his players used steroids. Now that he is out of the game, I prefer to remember the good in him more than the bad.
Less filling
Toronto has an Elite pitching coach who can’t get an uber after getting 3 sheets to the wind as well
Sadly it’s only an issue after multiple mistakes or someone actually gets hurt
Yeah but all you can find these days are tears of the melted Orange Snowflake and the other magats.
Two in less than a year? What a maroon!
yeah you should really space them out over a couple years
Exactly. Make everyone think you’ve gotten your s*** together and then BAM, smash their hopes into a million pieces. Rinse and repeat. Just like WWE legend Jeff Hardy.
Drinking and driving lol.
lol
How did I miss when this became funny?
Let me be the only one to say I hope the guy gets the help he needs. And why am I the only one to say it?
lol
Because it doesn’t need to be said here? Why don’t you tell him.
Not funny. Hard to have sympathy for a multiple time DUI offender in the same year.
This guy has had problems for years though. He obviously needs to be in a rehab clinic instead of a spring training complex. A shame he probably just lost his health insurance.
With all the ride share options now a days, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone to get a DUI. Much less two in less than a year.
unless you only have enough money for alcohol
You do realize that drunk people are not noted for their sound decision making. Alcohol diminishes the ability for people to make decisions. Why is everyone always so surprised when they do make bad decisions?
The only thing I’ll give praise to the Nationals for. Not like they are letting much go though. He’ll be in a program by the time his court dates come around though. Likely a suspended sentence with unsupervised probation. Maybe supervised though, they put Michael Phelps on supervised probation after all.
Wonder how many Soto could have got before they released him? I would have taken over 2.
The Nats gave him a lot of chances and he probably promised them over and over he was getting it together. Considering he hasn’t been developing well either as a player, either, they finally cut bait. At least the Nats are also sending him to a program run by MLB and the players union for help on his way out.
If only he could walk a straight line as reliably as he could walk a batter.
GOTEM
So much for him being a sleeper piece for next year.
he’s still a dominant strike out guy and another team will gladly pick him up
Maybe not a sleeper probably just passed out
Another valiant booze cruiser struck down by the long arm of the law #FreeSeth
Fletch, I hope you are living in the cage this off-season like Reggie Willits! No golf! I don’t care if Trouty and Shohei invite you either! Batting title contender this year…1st All Star selection!!
This was a terrible draft pick since the beginning. He was a cancer in college and always in trouble. Gifted arm though.
Alcohol, cigs and gambling are much worse than everything else America bans, and just continues to cowardly let them ruin life after life after life.
How about steroids?
Alcohol, cigs and gambling are much worse ….. just continues to cowardly let them ruin life after life after life.
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Oh, that’s a great idea! We should outlaw alcohol. We can call it “prohibition” or something like that!
What could go wrong?
Seriously, stop trying to run everyone’s life.
You can make anything you want illegal but if the demand is there you’ll just create a black market for it.
The state of Maryland rakes you over the coals for a pack of smokes. 60% nicotine tax here. If that doesn’t motivate you to quit—sheeeesh.
Was an idiot in high school, was an idiot on college, and now is an idiot as a pro. Kid had tons of talent and can’t get out of his own way. Saw this kind of behavior coming when he got drafted — it’s all they talked about whenever his name came up.
Did you know him in HS or something? Because if you did, were you a roughneck? He was a few years younger than me but pretty sure my sister knew him
Just goes to show that if you are a fringe big league player, teams will show you the door if you do something bad. If he was a better player, they would just suspend him for a few games and then hope everyone forgets. The lesson is, obey the law if you aren’t ultra talented.
A Boras client. Maybe Scott will work his magic and help this kid get straightened out. A power arm is a terrible thing to waste.
The 13.00 ERA Didn’t help his cause
yeah those 2 innings 3 years ago were pretty meaningful, huh?
Glad his poor decision didn’t kill anyone. Try living with that, he and his family. Lucky as hell.
overreact much?
The guy obviously has no friends……sad.
I can relate.
@ Critter
You haven’t been effected by this behavior, obviously. YOURE lucky as hell.
It’s easy to release a player who hasn’t appeared in the majors in two years and has an ERA over 13.00. Let me know when some team releases a top prospect or good player with a similar track record.
He could always be the DH.
Hey Alexa play Drunk Driving by Koe Wetzel.
Revered cardinal David freese had multiple dui’s and was revered way more than he should’ve been. Should’ve got the LaRussa treatment
That’s World Series Hero and MVP David Freese
Go Tigers!
Guess he has trouble in the fifth.