Strasburg 2022

[Natsinpwc]

our payroll is $129 million this year and won't get anywhere close to the cap any time soon, Strasburg's contract isn't impacting this team right now.

Yea it is. Because they don’t want to spend any more than that.  I mean if he and Corbin are not an issue why not sign a couple starters instead of having the worst rotation in baseball?  As you said they are nowhere near the luxury tax.

 I think the more important point is it helped lead to the sell off last year including making little attempt to extend Trea. 

[Elvir Ovcina]

our payroll is $129 million this year and won't get anywhere close to the cap any time soon, Strasburg's contract isn't impacting this team right now.

It shouldn't be, but it is, at least when combined with Corbin's.  I'm not completely sure whether the issue is the money as much as it is getting gun-shy on expensive free agents, but the team hasn't made any serious effort to get better recently.

[Natsinpwc]

It shouldn't be, but it is, at least when combined with Corbin's.  I'm not completely sure whether the issue is the money as much as it is getting gun-shy on expensive free agents, but the team hasn't made any serious effort to get better recently.

Yes.

[Natsinpwc]

It’s funny how some of us wasted so much time the past couple of days debating his fastball velocity. We should have known.

[imref]

It shouldn't be, but it is, at least when combined with Corbin's.  I'm not completely sure whether the issue is the money as much as it is getting gun-shy on expensive free agents, but the team hasn't made any serious effort to get better recently.

We picked up some decent offensive and bullpen pieces in the offseason: Cishek, Arano, Doo before he got hurt, Franco, Hernandez, Cruz, etc., but for some reason Rizzo ignored the starting rotation. This team, with two league average starters , could be in the hunt for a WC spot right now.

[Natsinpwc]

We picked up some decent offensive and bullpen pieces in the offseason: Cishek, Arano, Doo before he got hurt, Franco, Hernandez, Cruz, etc., but for some reason Rizzo ignored the starting rotation. This team, with two league average starters , could be in the hunt for a WC spot right now.

The Lerners don’t care. Got their World Series and ready to sell. Let’s hope the deal goes down soon so the team has some direction.

[English Natsie]

After the other day, this was all so predictable...

[nfotiu]

Going the free agency route for Starting pitchers is such a crap shoot now. 

Look at the top 10 free agent starters:
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/2022/starting-pitcher/

Max is on the IL
Ray is down a couple mph in velocity and is sporting a 4.5 ERA
Gausman is looking good
Rodriguez is hurt or has personal issues, or is quitting or something.
Stroman is on the IL
Gray has ERA of almost 5
Verlander looks good so far
Rodon looks good
Matz is on the IL
Kikuchi has a 4.4 era and is averaging 4 ip/start.

That looks like about 3 winners so far out of 10.   2-3 who might turn out ok.   4-5 who will probably be terrible contracts.

I'm sure we would been stuck with one or two of the guys not pitching.

[Natsinpwc]

Going the free agency route for Starting pitchers is such a crap shoot now. 

Look at the top 10 free agent starters:
https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/free-agents/2022/starting-pitcher/

Max is on the IL
Ray is down a couple mph in velocity and is sporting a 4.5 ERA
Gausman is looking good
Rodriguez is hurt or has personal issues, or is quitting or something.
Stroman is on the IL
Gray has ERA of almost 5
Verlander looks good so far
Rodon looks good
Matz is on the IL
Kikuchi has a 4.4 era and is averaging 4 ip/start.

That looks like about 3 winners so far out of 10.   2-3 who might turn out ok.   4-5 who will probably be terrible contracts.

I'm sure we would been stuck with one or two of the guys not pitching.

You can find bargain guys too. Like Tyler Anderson.  While the stats on some of these guys are unimpressive they are still better than what the Nats have.

[imref]

I wanted Kikuchi, he would have been a huge improvement over Adon.

I still wish we had grabbed Lance Lynn when he was available a few years ago too.

[HalfSmokes]

You can find bargain guys too. Like Tyler Anderson.  While the stats on some of these guys are unimpressive they are still better than what the Nats have.

What is the hit rate on bargain guys though?

[Elvir Ovcina]

We picked up some decent offensive and bullpen pieces in the offseason: Cishek, Arano, Doo before he got hurt, Franco, Hernandez, Cruz, etc., but for some reason Rizzo ignored the starting rotation. This team, with two league average starters , could be in the hunt for a WC spot right now.

Those FAs, Cruz excepted, all signed for way less than a league average starter.  There's most of your answer.  Heck, all of them combined signed for less than an average starter. 

[van lingle mungo]

The Lerners don’t care. Got their World Series and ready to sell. Let’s hope the deal goes down soon so the team has some direction.

Pretty much sums it up. It's back to the good old days of going the cheap route. And having gotten stuck with Corbin and a $245M albatross who's made of glass isn't about to add any incentive either.

[hotshot]

Are the Nats "insured" with Stras against injury?

[catocony]

I'm sure they are, but that's only for a medical retirement.  Not for extended stays on the DL.

Stras has what, 31 innings pitched in the last 3 seasons?

[Five Banners]

I'm sure they are, but that's only for a medical retirement.  Not for extended stays on the DL.

Stras has what, 31 innings pitched in the last 3 seasons?

It’s early (in the contract)

[nfotiu]

Pretty much sums it up. It's back to the good old days of going the cheap route. And having gotten stuck with Corbin and a $245M albatross who's made of glass isn't about to add any incentive either.

They were fine owners until they checked out this year.   I won't blame owners for not adding big contracts to turn a 60 win team into a 65 win team.    They spent money when there was hope of contending, and that's a good owner in my books.

[Slateman]

Are the Nats "insured" with Stras against injury?

Funny you mention that. Article from 6 years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/09/09/worried-about-your-aces-100-million-arm-there-is-insurance-for-that/

Still, policies aren’t for every club. The Nationals have issued four contracts worth at least $100 million, those to Ryan Zimmerman (six years, $100 million), Jayson Werth (seven years, $126 million), Strasburg and Scherzer (seven years, $210 million). But people with knowledge of their thought process say they have found insuring such deals vexing and expensive. They haven’t done it.

[van lingle mungo]

This marks the 15th time that Strasburg has landed on the IL. Gotta be some kind of record.

From Svrluga at WAPO:

Strasburg has been out with the following ailments, in chronological order, dating to 2010: right shoulder inflammation, a right forearm flexor strain (that led to Tommy John surgery), a mild lat strain, neck tightness, a left oblique strain, an upper back strain, right elbow soreness, a right elbow nerve impingement, right shoulder inflammation, a cervical nerve impingement, right carpal tunnel neuritis, right shoulder inflammation (again), a neck strain, recovery from thoracic outlet surgery — and finally, whatever he’s dealing with now.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

[Natsinpwc]

This marks the 15th time that Strasburg has landed on the IL. Gotta be some kind of record.

From Svrluga at WAPO:

Strasburg has been out with the following ailments, in chronological order, dating to 2010: right shoulder inflammation, a right forearm flexor strain (that led to Tommy John surgery), a mild lat strain, neck tightness, a left oblique strain, an upper back strain, right elbow soreness, a right elbow nerve impingement, right shoulder inflammation, a cervical nerve impingement, right carpal tunnel neuritis, right shoulder inflammation (again), a neck strain, recovery from thoracic outlet surgery — and finally, whatever he’s dealing with now.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

This marks the 15th time that Strasburg has landed on the IL. Gotta be some kind of record.

From Svrluga at WAPO:

Strasburg has been out with the following ailments, in chronological order, dating to 2010: right shoulder inflammation, a right forearm flexor strain (that led to Tommy John surgery), a mild lat strain, neck tightness, a left oblique strain, an upper back strain, right elbow soreness, a right elbow nerve impingement, right shoulder inflammation, a cervical nerve impingement, right carpal tunnel neuritis, right shoulder inflammation (again), a neck strain, recovery from thoracic outlet surgery — and finally, whatever he’s dealing with now.

if you've never seen this one, it's worth a click.

[hotshot]

Funny you mention that. Article from 6 years ago:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2016/09/09/worried-about-your-aces-100-million-arm-there-is-insurance-for-that/

Interesting. I'm sure the premiums on a Stras policy would be sky high. What with his history.

[skippy1999]

You make a great point.  What would have happened if we lost to Milwaukee in the 2019 WC game, and Strasburg never became the World Series MVP?  Would we have given him 7 years, $245M.  I don't think so.  Bottom line for me is that I wouldn't trade the 2019 results, even if we would be better positioned today. 

This, that run was magic and even though going right back down to the bottom of the barrel I would never ever trade that.

[imref]

Strasburg to the 15 day IL with a stress reaction of the ribs.