According to a report from Jon Heyman of MLB Network, the Washington Nationals have re-signed right-handed starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg to a deal. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic was the first to report that they were nearing an agreement.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the deal is for seven years and $245 million.
Strasburg is coming off one of the best seasons of his career, in which he posted 5.7 fWAR and a 3.25 FIP. He is 31 however, and has a bit of an injury history, as this past season was his first time reaching 200 innings since 2014. The Nationals are certainly taking a gamble that Strasburg will remain healthy and effective into his late 30s.
Strasburg has spent his entire career with the Nationals, as he was drafted first overall by them in the 2009 draft and has never known another team. He made his much-anticipated debut in 2010, and aside from battling some injuries, hasn’t looked back since then and has put together a nice career.
According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the deal includes a full no-trade clause. Once the seven-year deal is complete, Strasburg will have spent a staggering 17 years as a Washington National.
With one half of the two-headed pitching monster off the board, teams will likely start to get more aggressive for fellow prized free agent right-hander Gerrit Cole. The Nationals will once again have a rotation that features Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, and Strasburg as they look to defend their World Series title in 2020.
This deal also makes it far less likely that the Nationals will re-sign star free agent third baseman Anthony Rendon to a long-term deal, given that they already gave Strasburg a huge payday, leaving Rendon open to sign with potentially any other team.
