Strasburg in October..

[Lintyfresh85]

Bowden's solution was to trade for Greinke, using Meyer and a few lower level prospects, re-sign Greinke and have a dynasty.

[PowerBoater69]

Bowden's solution was to trade for Grienke, using Meyer and a few lower level prospects, re-sign Grienke and have a dynasty.

A dynasty does sound nice, let's have one of those.

[Jordanz Meatballz]

But would Gio and Greinke get along in the clubhouse?

Heck, maybe if they don't it'll make for some good reading material in books about the Nats dynasty. Team likes each other too much and is filled with too many good guys.

[houston-nat]

Heck, maybe if they don't it'll make for some good reading material in books about the Nats dynasty. Team likes each other too much and is filled with too many good guys.

The Franchise 2013...

[MorseTheHorse]

Two arguments against would be:

1- To the extent you shift innings from him now to allocate to the playoffs, you diminish your very chances of making those playoffs.
2- Stopping him now isn't really lettting him rest and recover if you have to keep him "warm" by throwing in between and on the day of his skipped starts.  If you're going to shut him down, better to do it in the conventional way, and have him well rested for spring training.
Or in other words, 160 innings before shutdown is less stress than say 130 innings followed by a warm period, then cranking back up for 30 more.

The first argument we have been through before.  Through 17 starts Stras has a 3.1 WAR and we are 4.5 games up on the Mets...  Stras missing 5 starts will probably lose us a game or two that we wouldn't have otherwise.  The chances that two extra wins would give us the division is very small (it is much more likely we win regardless OR that we finish more than 2 games back, after 162 game season, it's pretty hard to finish 2 games away from another team). 

The second argument, why not just shut him down and then bring him back.  Pitchers have trips to the DL for a month or so all the time and come back, almost always just as effective as before.  Why not just treat Stras like he has to be on the DL for a month. 

[GburgNatsFan]

Because the guys that do TJ rehab have a system, refined over 30 years, that works.

What you are proposing might work. Or it may blow his elbow up. No one knows. Rizzo is conservative about player development. I doubt it's going to happen.

...
The second argument, why not just shut him down and then bring him back.  Pitchers have trips to the DL for a month or so all the time and come back, almost always just as effective as before.  Why not just treat Stras like he has to be on the DL for a month. 

[houston-nat]

Through 17 starts Stras has a 3.1 WAR and we are 4.5 games up on the Mets...  Stras missing 5 starts will probably lose us a game or two that we wouldn't have otherwise. 

The math says we'd lose 0.9 WAR. John Lannan's career math says we'd gain .2 WAR back, so losing Strasburg equates to -0.7 WAR.

At this point, I honestly do not believe it's worth our while to expend a huge amount of energy looking to compensate for what would be, in all likelihood, a single extra tally in the L column. Especially since playoffs reduce a team's rotation to 4 and we'd be going with Gio, JZ, and Edwin for three of those four, trading the farm for somebody is imprudent.

The exception would be something like a Greinke sign-and-trade where we worked out, in advance of the deal, an extension that keeps Stras-Greinke-Gio-JZ intact for the next 4-5 seasons.

[Obed_Marsh]

I have seen enough pained expressions on Strasburg's face when sitting next to Gio to magine what it would be like adding Girenke to the other side.

[houston-nat]

I have seen enough pained expressions on Strasburg's face when sitting next to Gio to magine what it would be like adding Girenke to the other side.

Maybe they should keep Edwin around, then. From what I see those two guys get along really well in the dugout.

[Obed_Marsh]

I suspect everyone has someone that annoys them at work, I am not sure it matters. The mental image is humorous though.

[Lintyfresh85]

I think Stras and Gio are BFF. That's the only guy you ever see Stras talking to.

Greinke and JZ would likely get along well, though.

[tomterp]

The second argument, why not just shut him down and then bring him back.  Pitchers have trips to the DL for a month or so all the time and come back, almost always just as effective as before.  Why not just treat Stras like he has to be on the DL for a month.

Here are Boz's comments on the shut down/bring him back thing, which I agree with and thus am copying since the game is on and it's time to go to the game thread now.   

There are two things so stupid that you never do them. First, you don’t voluntarily shut a pitcher down for weeks then start him back up, creating, in effect, a second spring training. You also can’t pretend that “skipping starts” is feasible. Why? Because you aren’t skipping anything. The issue isn’t innings; it’s total workload on the arm. While skipping starts, a pitcher stays on a throwing program. For Strasburg, that’s 95 mph. It isn’t “rest.” The stress and risk accumulate. Short of suspended animation, you can’t beat it.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You know, maybe it is stupid, but there are plenty of teams that use the DL for a mid-season break, and I'm sure  you can find some pretty smart writers saying this is the next step in preserving arms.   I think this is one Verducci has written about.  I think someone posted it less than a month ago.  That  said, the primary focus is on rehab for Strasburg, and if the rehab regime works better not taking any time off and just burning through the innings, then that is the smartest course.

[PowerBoater69]

In the past 16 games the Nats are 10-3 in games where Stras did not start and 0-3 in games where Stras was the starter.  Regardless of extending the guy into October, clearly something is wrong, we cannot allow him to pitch in the ASG and maybe a couple weeks off is the answer, even if it means that he only pitches 140-150 innings.

[Terpfan76]

In the past 16 games the Nats are 10-3 in games where Stras did not start and 0-3 in games where Stras was the starter.  Regardless of extending the guy into October, clearly something is wrong, we cannot allow him to pitch in the ASG and maybe a couple weeks off is the answer, even if it means that he only pitches 140-150 innings.

Oh get real. He also received less than 3 runs per game in run support. I'm not suggesting he pitched lights out, but he didn't pitch that badly. He gave up 3 runs each start with all but 1 earned. Pitchers can go into funks from time to time also. It also should be noted that those 3 starts were vs the Rockies and Braves. The Rockies can't pitch very well, but they can hit. The Braves offense isn't exactly awful either.

Either way, the idea of shutting him down a few weeks is silly. The Boz kinda spelled it out. This rehab program has worked pretty damn well for JZ, why change it up now? It's not as though our rotation will fall to crap sans him in the fall, as much as I want him toeing the rubber.

[GSW]

One other thing they could do is:

Put Stras in the pen and let him pitch every 5th day around in the 6/8th.

Then in late Sept start him back up.

I just hate to see them say "Wait till next YEAR" 

[Lintyfresh85]

"It worked for JZ" is a terrible reason to make Strasburg do it.

One size fits all rehab programs are terribly inefficient as they don't account for the differences in every athlete.

[sportsfan882]

The All-Star pitcher was on SiriusXM’s MLB Network Radio on Tuesday, and Jim Bowden tried a novel approach to the shutdown question.

“Stephen, a lot’s been made about the inning limit, and I’m sure you’ve been asked it 50 million times, so I’m not gonna go there,” Bowden began. “But just make sure I know: You’re gonna be pitching Game 1 of the World Series if the Nationals get there, aren’t you?”

“Well, they’re gonna have to rip the ball out of my hands, that’s all I can say,” Strasburg answered.

“That was good,” Bowden said.

[Slateman]

lol, please. Strasburg will do what Davey says. He's already proven that this year.

[blue911]

"It worked for JZ" is a terrible reason to make Strasburg do it.

One size fits all rehab programs are terribly inefficient as they don't account for the differences in every athlete.

Right, but how many differences are there? I'd believe that the program was designed by the tending physician (Lewis Yocum) who has years of experience in rehabbing this particular surgery.

[Mathguy]

This says it all - c'mon now, let's stop this crybabying over the fact Strausburg won't pitch at the end of the year and in the playoffs.  His health is far more important than this season.

Right, but how many differences are there? I'd believe that the program was designed by the tending physician (Lewis Yocum) who has years of experience in rehabbing this particular surgery.

[Lintyfresh85]

This says it all - c'mon now, let's stop this crybabying over the fact Strausburg won't pitch at the end of the year and in the playoffs.  His health is far more important than this season.

I'm just echoing the statements of Will Carroll, noted injury expert.

[Kevrock]

But would Gio and Greinke get along in the clubhouse?

Who wouldn't get along with Gio?

The Franchise 2013...

I wouldn't be surprised if the Franchise contacts us for next year. I really hope the Nats turn them down, though. Too big a distraction. Coincidence both the teams they've covered have under-performed?

[Kevrock]

I'm just echoing the statements of Will Carroll, noted injury expert.

Link?

[Lintyfresh85]

Link?

From Twitter before the year started... I'll see if I can find it.