Here's my deal with this:
Hypothetically, what if we finish with the best record in the National League or at least make the playoffs? What if we do that and shut down Strasburg and whoever takes his place in the playoff rotation is a huge bust production wise in the postseason? What if we would of won the World Series had Strasburg started in the postseason?
Hypothetically, what if Bryce Harper ends up being a bust? What if Strasburg ends up with nagging injuries even if we keep him within the 160-180 innings limit? What if Jordan Zimmermann and Gio Gonzalez end up with nagging injures of their own and never become the elite pitchers they have the potential to be?
I know that all the hypotheticals that I listed are huge, but they're all well within the realm of possibility. The future greatness of this team isn't guaranteed. If we have a shot to win the World Series in 2012, we take it. We don't know what the future holds and we don't know if we will ever get back to the point where we have a shot to win the entire thing again.
