The Stephen Strasburg era begins today

[JCA-CrystalCity]

LOL. He's already penciled into our rotation for later in the year, now a future HOF is comparing him to Nolan Ryan. Talk about expectations.

I've heard he plans on living in Alexandria and walking to work, taking the short cut across the Potomac.

[tomterp]

I've heard he plans on living in Alexandria and walking to work, taking the short cut across the Potomac.

That would have been possible much of this winter, even without bridges.

My great-grandfather liked to walk over to Alexandria from Oxon Hill to do a little partying once in a while.  Winters were colder back in the 1910-1940 time frame.

[Nat of the Living Dead]

I've heard he plans on living in Alexandria and walking to work, taking the short cut across the Potomac.

I heard is going to buy a winery, but I have no idea why he is stocking up on bottled water instead of grapes.

[imref]

I've heard he plans on living in Alexandria and walking to work, taking the short cut across the Potomac.

Awesome!

[imref]

LOL. He's already penciled into our rotation for later in the year, now a future HOF is comparing him to Nolan Ryan. Talk about expectations.

Davey Johnson says he's better than Doc and has a faster release.  Dwight Gooden is arguably the best pitcher ever (for the time he pitched), so there is reason to be giddy (just keep him away from the crack).

[JCA-CrystalCity]

I heard is going to buy a winery, but I have no idea why he is stocking up on bottled water instead of grapes.

He packs his own lunch. Every day - fish sandwiches.  But no one ever sees him going to the store. Then he offers to feed the team!

[houston-nat]

He packs his own lunch. Every day - fish sandwiches.  But no one ever sees him going to the store. Then he offers to feed the team!

Dmitri Young is envious of his wine cellar.

[imref]

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20100225&content_id=8141408&vkey=news_was&fext=.jsp&c_id=was&partnerId=rss_was

Strasburg shines in another 'pen session

 VIERA, Fla. -- Nationals right-hander Stephen Strasburg had his third bullpen session Thursday. It came 12 days before he is scheduled to make his Spring Training debut against the Tigers at Space Coast Stadium.

Strasburg pitched well during the 12-minute session, except for when it came to throwing his breaking ball. He had problems with the pitch, because he was throwing against the wind and had a hard time adjusting to it. Some of his breaking pitches ended up in the dirt.

Still, pitching coach Steve McCatty was impressed with the way Strasburg threw.

"He is pretty awesome," McCatty said. "We always talk about how good his stuff his. We might be underestimating it. It's pretty unbelievable. It's a windy day. He was just out there and paced himself for 12 minutes today.

"The kid is a horse. He is a stud. There is no other way to put it."

Catcher Wil Nieves was impressed with how Strasburg threw most of his pitches for strikes.

"His fastball jumps out of his hand," Nieves said. "His breaking ball and curveball are nasty. The guy is in pretty good shape out there, too."

Strasburg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, was not available for comment. He will throw live batting practice to the Nationals' position players on Saturday.

[I can Throw]

I may have to make the four trip to atlanta in June so I can see this fella thrown a few beans.

[PANatsFan]

I hope he doesn't make the team. Save the extra arbitration year.

I agree about team control, but I feel there's a 50% chance that Boras breaks his protocol and Strasburg signs a whopper deal when this one runs out.

If they market the team around him and Zimmerman and lock both up for their careers, they will rake in the dough.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

I couldn't care less about team control.  If this team is too Bush League to sign him to an extension some day given that he earns it, then they deserve to have him walk ASAP.

[cmdterps44]

I couldn't care less about team control.  If this team is too Bush League to sign him to an extension some day given that he earns it, then they deserve to have him walk ASAP.

Yeah, if he throws well in ST and shows he belongs up here, Id say give it to him. We need all the help we can get in the rotation for now. Then when the time comes, throw money at him!

[tomterp]

I couldn't care less about team control.  If this team is too Bush League to sign him to an extension some day given that he earns it, then they deserve to have him walk ASAP.

Boras prefers to have his clients wait until free agency to negotiate.  We all know the master plan here, to have Strasburg do what Santana, Sabathia and the rest of the premier players usually do - auction themselves off to the high bidder between NYY, Bosox, or once in a while the Angels or Cubs.

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Boras prefers to have his clients wait until free agency to negotiate.  We all know the master plan here, to have Strasburg do what Santana, Sabathia and the rest of the premier players usually do - auction themselves off to the high bidder between NYY, Bosox, or once in a while the Angels or Cubs.

And if the Nats are smart about it, they'll see that as a positive because it's a chance to get young talent.  I doubt the Orioles are lamenting the fact that they have Adam Jones and Chris Tillman, and the Twins could've had Jon Lester and Justin Masterson today if they had taken the better deal.

But this worrying about the arbitration clock stuff seems like meaningless babble.  When he's ready, he's ready.

[PANatsFan]

And if the Nats are smart about it, they'll see that as a positive because it's a chance to get young talent.  I doubt the Orioles are lamenting the fact that they have Adam Jones and Chris Tillman, and the Twins could've had Jon Lester and Justin Masterson today if they had taken the better deal.

But this worrying about the arbitration clock stuff seems like meaningless babble.  When he's ready, he's ready.

Be very careful to separate arbitration from free agency. I don't give a crap what they pay him, but a guaranteed extra year in DC means something.

[Lintyfresh85]

[sarcasm] Who cares about wasting an extra year of control when the Nats will be in contention when he can help push the Nats win total from 68 to 70 this year! [/sarcasm]

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Be very careful to separate arbitration from free agency. I don't give a crap what they pay him, but a guaranteed extra year in DC means something.

He's guaranteed to be in D.C. as long as they can keep him if they can sign him long-term.  If not, we'll get our bounty of prospects sooner.

[sarcasm] Who cares about wasting an extra year of control when the Nats will be in contention when he can help push the Nats win total from 68 to 70 this year! [/sarcasm]

yay false dichotomies!

[tomterp]

Be very careful to separate arbitration from free agency. I don't give a crap what they pay him, but a guaranteed extra year in DC means something.

It's really an extra part year, right?

[Lintyfresh85]

yay false dichotomies!

And the alternatives are?

[KnorrForYourMoney]

Putting Strasburg in the minors when he is ML-ready would be wasting time with him and postponing the inevitable learning curve that comes with facing ML pitching.  It's not all about improving the team this year.

[PANatsFan]

It's really an extra part year, right?

Ok an extra 75% of a season + possible postseason is pretty valuable. Pedro Martinez is going to make a lot of money to pitch less than that.

[DPMOmaha]

It's not all about improving the team this year.

8 weeks in the minors isn't going to retard his growth that much, if at all.  If you can gain an extra year of team control it seems like a no brainer to me.  When we get to that stretch run next year or 2012 or whenvever that is, we're not going to be staring out there at SS saying, "If only we'd had him at the big league level in April of 2010 instead of June! Curses!"  If he could be the difference between the playoffs and not, then it might be a different story, but it's not, at least not this year.

[epic_phalanx]

Has anyone come across any video of his BP sessions so far this spring?

[natsfan4evr]

I'm not for sending him to minors per se, but why can't they do what they did with Jordan Zimmermann? They will make him super 2 eligible, which really doesn't matter due to his current contract; but he'll still be under control for 6 seasons after this one. Is there any downside to waiting a few weeks? I can't see one.

[Nick the Pig]

It's really an extra part year, right?

Nah, it's an extra whole year.  Two weeks in the minors to start the season would give the team control of his rights through 2016, as opposed to 2015 if he started the season in the majors.