Nationals Release Former 1st-Round Pick After 2nd DWI Arrest Of The Year

Since being drafted in the first round (25th overall) of the 2017 June Amateur Draft, things haven't gone quite as expected for Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher Seth Romero. He's only pitched a total of 2.2 innings in the majors (in 2020), and now the Nats have released Romero after he picked up his second DWI arrest this year.

Nationals announce they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on LHP Seth Romero. The 2017 first-round pick, whose career has been marred by injuries and off-field issues, was arrested in Texas for DWI this weekend, per @dougherty_jesse, his second offense this year.

— Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) November 14, 2022

Romero was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and possession of a controlled substance Sunday in Sweeny, Tex. The 26-year-old's career, as noted by Nationals beat writer Mark Zuckerman, has been derailed by injuries and off-field issues. 

His off-field problems date back to his days at the University of Houston, when he was suspended in his sophomore year for “conduct detrimental to the team.” The next year, as a junior, he was suspended again, this time for "a violation of team rules.”  And a week after that, he was booted off the team after reportedly getting into a fight with a teammate.

Nevertheless, he had the talent, so he was still selected in the first round of the 2017 draft. His troubles followed him to the Washington organization, as he was sent home from spring training in 2018 for "violating team policy."

Nationals manager Dave Martinez was asked in August, after Romero's first DUI arrest earlier in the year, how many chances the organization would give him. Martinez told the Washington Post, “He’s very talented, and he’s had some issues, and we’ve talked to him about them. At this point, it’s up to him. He can definitely help us [down] the road. But he’s got to do the right things. As you know, I don’t tolerate a whole lot of things off the field. He’s got to do the right things off the field as well as perform on the field. Only time will tell."

Well, time has told the story of Seth Romero. And it's not a happy ending for his Nationals career.

Photo: USA TODAY NETWORK