Longtime Astros Minor Leaguer CJ Stubbs Re-Signs With Washington Nationals

Catcher CJ Stubbs spent five years in the Houston Astros' farm system before getting cut loose and joining the Washington Nationals back in May.

Mar 17, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; Houston Astros catcher C.J. Stubbs (80) celebrates with teammates after scoring an RBI against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. / Rich Storry-Imagn Images

The Washington Nationals have re-signed catcher CJ Stubbs to a minor league contract, the 28-year-old backstop confirmed Monday afternoon on social media.

Stubbs initially signed a minor league deal with the Nationals back in May, a week after he was released by the Houston Astros. He proceeded to appear in 53 Double-A games and seven Triple-A games before the end of the season.

Since he took part in the Astros' major league Spring Training camp in 2023 and 2024, Stubbs' new contract likely includes a non-roster invitation to the Nationals' own Spring Training camp in 2025.

Let’s get back to it! @Nationals https://t.co/oiq13HFS6C

— CJ Stubbs (@cj_stubbs1) November 25, 2024

Stubbs had been a part of the Astros' organization since the 2019 MLB Draft, when they picked him in the 10th round out of USC. At the time, Stubbs' older brother, Garrett, had just made his big league debut for Houston.

The Stubbs brothers never overlapped at the same level, and Garrett was ultimately traded to the Philadelphia Phillies in November 2021.

CJ, meanwhile, split 2021 and 2022 between High-A and Double-A. He got his first taste of Triple-A action in 2023 and opened 2024 at the same level, but he got sent back down after going 1-for-11 through four games.

Stubbs finished 2024 with career-lows across the board, batting .187 with eight home runs, 25 RBI, four stolen bases, 109 strikeouts and a .649 OPS in 81 games. Over the previous three seasons, he had hit .212 with a .736 OPS, averaging 16 home runs, 43 RBI, 12 stolen bases and 131 strikeouts a year.

Barring a breakout in Spring Training, Stubbs is likely to simply serve as organizational depth for the Nationals in 2025. While he hit .571 with a 1.445 OPS in 11 Grapefruit League appearances in 2023, he hit just .091 with a .322 OPS when he returned in 2024. Stubbs did at least get to share the field with his brother, though.

Keibert Ruiz will be Washington's starting catcher again next season, while Riley Adams is currently in line to back him up. The Nationals' top-two catching prospects – Caleb Lomavita and Kevin Bazzell – are in Single-A and aren't expected to reach the majors until 2027.

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