Stephen Strasburg Retires

[Natsinpwc]

The team never announced a ceremony, nothing was ever promoted, the only source of information was from the original Post report that was repeated elsewhere. The Post once again made themselves a part of the story, breaking the news of a press conference still in the planning stages, then bashing the team for not having the event within an arbitrary timeline.

Like I said it was announced on the team broadcasts. If it was uncertain why not have your own broadcasters say that?  Do you think the Post printed a story with no source?

Go read the Lerners later statement. They never denied planning a press conference.

The team made themselves look dumb.  They leaked the news figuring they could get Strasburg agree to further deferrals and he apparently balked at that.  Can’t wait until they sell the team.

[HondoKillebrew]

Setting aside the press conference question, the spring training comment was an intentional and classless jab from a boorish idiot.

[Natsinpwc]

Setting aside the press conference question, the spring training comment was an intentional and classless jab from a boorish idiot.

Amen.  And a cheap idiot at that.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

As far as mentoring is there any reason to think a quiet guy like Strasburg would add anything.  I don’t think there is much precedent for having an injured pitcher act as a sort of assistant pitching coach.

he can always teach pitch grips and help the starters prepare for games. I mean, Mo Rivera taught the entire Yankee staff his cutter and a lot of them developed good ones. The Stras change and his curve would be similar

[Natsinpwc]

he can always teach pitch grips and help the starters prepare for games. I mean, Mo Rivera taught the entire Yankee staff his cutter and a lot of them developed good ones. The Stras change and his curve would be similar

Doesn’t seem to make sense to me at this point of the season or really anytime during the season. Spring training would seem best.  And Stephen has the invitation from Mark!

[PowerBoater69]

Like I said it was announced on the team broadcasts. If it was uncertain why not have your own broadcasters say that?  Do you think the Post printed a story with no source?

Go read the Lerners later statement. They never denied planning a press conference.

The team made themselves look dumb.  They leaked the news figuring they could get Strasburg agree to further deferrals and he apparently balked at that.  Can’t wait until they sell the team.

Right, the retirement press conference was in the planning stages when someone anonymously leaked it. The event was never officially announced. The Post then bashed the team for "cancelling" it.

I don't have transcripts of the in game broadcasts but even if they discussed the Washington Post report I'm sure that they never promoted an event that was never announced by the team. If the event had been announced they would have had ticket promotions, which did not happen.

[PowerBoater69]

Setting aside the press conference question, the spring training comment was an intentional and classless jab from a boorish idiot.

According to Rizzo it was not a jab, the team is expecting Strasburg to join the club in spring to meet with the young pitchers. It's certainly possible that Rizzo is lying to cover for his boss, but I would not trust anything coming from the Post or the Athletic on this story either.

If it was a jab, that leads to a very interesting question of why was Mark Lerner so pissed at Strasburg to publicly provoke him? Strasburg is a prickly guy and his agent is famous for being adversarial with MLB ownership. Could very well be that this is a fake news story drummed up by the Post or it could be that there is a lot more to the story than is being told by the reporters repeating talking points from Boras.

[PowerBoater69]

he can always teach pitch grips and help the starters prepare for games. I mean, Mo Rivera taught the entire Yankee staff his cutter and a lot of them developed good ones. The Stras change and his curve would be similar

Yep, I'm sure that Strasburg could write a book on tips and tricks that he learned over the years. And even if he had absolutely no knowledge to share from a baseball standpoint, it's a pretty cool thing to have a World Series MVP show up and shake hands with all the guys who joined the team after 2019.

[Natsinpwc]

According to Rizzo it was not a jab, the team is expecting Strasburg to join the club in spring to meet with the young pitchers. It's certainly possible that Rizzo is lying to cover for his boss, but I would not trust anything coming from the Post or the Athletic on this story either.

If it was a jab, that leads to a very interesting question of why was Mark Lerner so pissed at Strasburg to publicly provoke him? Strasburg is a prickly guy and his agent is famous for being adversarial with MLB ownership. Could very well be that this is a fake news story drummed up by the Post or it could be that there is a lot more to the story than is being told by the reporters repeating talking points from Boras.

Because he probably had an agreement with Strasburg to defer more of the money or defer over a longer time.  And then Boras stepped in and said no. In any event MLB has stated they need to fulfill the contract.  Suffering now for their own stupidity.

[Natsinpwc]

Yep, I'm sure that Strasburg could write a book on tips and tricks that he learned over the years. And even if he had absolutely no knowledge to share from a baseball standpoint, it's a pretty cool thing to have a World Series MVP show up and shake hands with all the guys who joined the team after 2019.

Wasn’t he around them in spring training?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Wasn’t he around them in spring training?

no

[PowerBoater69]

Because he probably had an agreement with Strasburg to defer more of the money or defer over a longer time.  And then Boras stepped in and said no. In any event MLB has stated they need to fulfill the contract.  Suffering now for their own stupidity.

You think that the Nats had a deal directly with Stras and then Boras came in and nixed it?  Not a chance, Strasburg isn't bypassing his agent.

Suffering how? The Nats are suffering from a stupid decision to extend Strasburg after the WS, not because of a Boswell column.

[Natsinpwc]

You think that the Nats had a deal directly with Stras and then Boras came in and nixed it?  Not a chance, Strasburg isn't bypassing his agent.

Suffering how? The Nats are suffering from a stupid decision to extend Strasburg after the WS, not because of a Boswell column.

Agree with the last paragraph but this snafu has made them look bad nationally a bit.  I’m more concerned they won’t sign anyone of substance in the off-season.

[Natsinpwc]

no

I thought he delayed reporting to spring training but did eventually go there? Maybe not. Makes their comment about him going to spring training in 2024 even dumber.  Unless it’s purely as coaching help which they easily could have said.

[HondoKillebrew]

According to Rizzo it was not a jab, the team is expecting Strasburg to join the club in spring to meet with the young pitchers. It's certainly possible that Rizzo is lying to cover for his boss, but I would not trust anything coming from the Post or the Athletic on this story either.

If it was a jab, that leads to a very interesting question of why was Mark Lerner so pissed at Strasburg to publicly provoke him? Strasburg is a prickly guy and his agent is famous for being adversarial with MLB ownership. Could very well be that this is a fake news story drummed up by the Post or it could be that there is a lot more to the story than is being told by the reporters repeating talking points from Boras.

Fake news drummed up by Barry Svrluga and also Thomas Boswell? They could be misreading it, of course, but I would think they’re close enough to the situation to more accurately interpret the intent better than any of us. In any event, many of us as fans were outraged by what it appeared to convey to a standup guy who suffers a degree of disability due to his efforts for the team. 

[blue911]

Fake news drummed up by Barry Svrluga and also Thomas Boswell? They could be misreading it, of course, but I would think they’re close enough to the situation to more accurately interpret the intent better than any of us. In any event, many of us as fans were outraged by what it appeared to convey to a standup guy who suffers a degree of disability due to his efforts for the team.

To give the devil his due, the team could have squashed the rumors immediately but chose not to.

[PowerBoater69]

Fake news drummed up by Barry Svrluga and also Thomas Boswell? They could be misreading it, of course, but I would think they’re close enough to the situation to more accurately interpret the intent better than any of us. In any event, many of us as fans were outraged by what it appeared to convey to a standup guy who suffers a degree of disability due to his efforts for the team. 

Dougherty reported the retirement press conference that didn't happen. Not fake news, it was based on a leak from someone with insider knowledge, but not really "news" either, just a rumor. Fake news is probably not accurate for Boswell's column, more like faux outrage. There is no reason why the team needed to hold the press conference on 9/9 just because the Post reported that it was going to happen. There is no reason why the Nats need to do anything right at this moment and definitely no justification for slamming team ownership for postponing what was an unannounced event. Janes was the one who really reacted negatively to the note from Mark Lerner about seeing Stras in Florida next spring before asking for the Nats side of the story.

Taken as a whole the Post have not acted in good faith in their reporting of the internal planning for a retirement deal with Strasburg.

[Natsinpwc]

So where are the negotiations now?  Boras/Strasburg did not blink and the Lerners have nothing for leverage to force them to the table. It’s really not even clear that they can alter the deal at all under the CBT. 

I pointed out the Cecil Fielder medical retirement. Did not really retire but was declared medically unfit to play. That was done for insurance reasons as the Rangers were smart enough to ensure the deal.  There’s really no difference here. Strasburg is medically unfit to play. He may report to West Palm Beach in February but will be sent home in short order unless Mother Teresa has intervened.  If I were him I would ask for more money to be an assistant pitching coach if that is what the team wants from him.

Just my opinion but the Lerners thought they could defer all the salaries for Strasburg and others and then once they got their chip thought they could offload the payments on new owners. Joke is on them however. And us as fans. Get ready for a long winter of waiting for them to sign any impact bat or pitching. 

[MorseTheHorse]

I have no idea how baseball contracts work.  What can the team make him due in terms of traveling with the team, press events, helping mentor young players, shagging fly balls, etc.  That seems to be leverage, no?  Either he can do that for his full contract, or get some % of it to just sit at home.  That seems to be how I read 'see you at spring training'.  Am I crazy? 

[Slateman]

I have no idea how baseball contracts work.  What can the team make him due in terms of traveling with the team, press events, helping mentor young players, shagging fly balls, etc.  That seems to be leverage, no?  Either he can do that for his full contract, or get some % of it to just sit at home.  That seems to be how I read 'see you at spring training'.  Am I crazy? 

If his doctor writes him a note that home rest and rehab is the required treatment, then the team cant do crap.

[GburgNatsFan]

About what they forced him to do this year.

I have no idea how baseball contracts work.  What can the team make him due in terms of traveling with the team, press events, helping mentor young players, shagging fly balls, etc.  That seems to be leverage, no?  Either he can do that for his full contract, or get some % of it to just sit at home.  That seems to be how I read 'see you at spring training'.  Am I crazy?

[Natsinpwc]

Maybe he can take Kolko’s place?

[Five Banners]

The team can realize that this is how baseball contracts work. They involve risk, especially at this level. If part of the rationale was to give a thank you for past performance, then this is the potential cost of that. There’s countless numbers of players that they cast aside on an ongoing basis, so deal with the business side and maybe learn a lesson or two.

[aspenbubba]

If his doctor writes him a note that home rest and rehab is the required treatment, then the team cant do crap.

I’ll take exception to that. The team can hire their own physicians and can offer a completely different prognosis. It would then go to arbitration shades of the MASN saga for the past years. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved there could be court cases. The only advantage is Stras ‘ as by that time he will be too old for rigorous activities. If that’s the case I would guess s reduction in the contract amount.

[HalfSmokes]

I’ll take exception to that. The team can hire their own physicians and can offer a completely different prognosis. It would then go to arbitration shades of the MASN saga for the past years. If a satisfactory resolution is not achieved there could be court cases. The only advantage is Stras ‘ as by that time he will be too old for rigorous activities. If that’s the case I would guess s reduction in the contract amount.

No MD is signing their name to a diagnosis that is so obviously wrong, at least not when the patient has the resources Strasburg does