Stephen

Strasburg

The 35-year-old hurler had been involved in a nasty dispute with the Nationals who wouldn’t let him receive the balance on his contract if he retired, as they hoped to recover a portion of the $105 million that Strasburg is owed over the next three seasons. Thankfully, that saga appears to have reached its end and Strasburg was able to officially hang up his cleats. The top overall selection from the 2009 draft finishes his career with a 113-62 record, 3.24 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and a 1723/394 K/BB ratio over 1470 innings in 13 seasons with the Nationals. He was a three-time All-Star and was the World Series MVP for the Nationals in 2019. Kudos to an impressive career.

The plan in place that would allow Strasburg to retire last fall apparently fell apart in the end because some in ownership vetoed it, presumably in the hopes of recovering at least a small part of the $105 million that Strasburg is owed over the next three years. Nationals GM Mike Rizzo, who certainly appears to be on Strasburg’s side, said there was a request for assistance from MLB and the MLBPA on the matter, but that they chose to stay out of it. One wonders if the Nationals will go through the motions of having Strasburg report to spring training to collect his money, something they didn’t do last season. Strasburg’s pitching career is over, either way, but he still has obligations to the team, should the Nationals wish to enforce them.

Strasburg was expected to retire in September, but since the Nationals reportedly changed the terms of their settlement, he remains an active player, if one who is very unlikely to play in a major league game again. But, unless something changes, he’ll be with the Nationals in spring training, and he’ll return to the 60-day IL when eligible in March.

There were plans to honor Strasburg this weekend with a retirement ceremony in Washington, but they’ve been put on hold, at least temporarily, while the two sides continue to negotiate the financial terms of his injury-related retirement. The central issue appears related to deferred-money in the seven-year, $245 million contract between the two sides signed back in 2019. The 35-year-old right-hander has elected to hang up his cleats due to severe nerve damage that has prevented him from returning to pitching.

Strasburg is expected to make it official at a news conference on September 9 at Nationals Park. The 35-year-old was a three-time all-star and will retire with a 113-62 record, a 3.24 ERA, and 1,723 strikeouts in 247 regular season starts. At his peak, Strasburg was arguably the best pitcher in baseball, but his career was derailed by injuries. He made 30 or more starts just three times in 13 years and pitched just 31 1/3 innings after signing a seven-year, $245 million contract in December of 2019. Since then, Strasburg had surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and last pitched in a game in June of 2022. While he will be remembered for his unquestionable highs, his career will also be one of the bigger “What ifs.”

It’s a devastating update as Strasburg hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since last June and it’s starting to sound like his career might be over. The 34-year-old right-hander, who remains under contract with the Nationals through 2026, has been dealing with nerve-related issues during his recovery from last year’s surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome and hasn’t come close to starting a throwing program this year. It’s possible that his career is over.

An expected move, as Strasburg is dealing with a nerve issue related to his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery. There’s no clear timetable for the former All-Star right-hander to make his return.

Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told reporters this week that the team is proceeding with patience and that Strasburg will seek second opinions from medical specialists. Given that he’s been limited to just eight starts combined over the last three seasons, it’s not unreasonable to wonder whether the 34-year-old right-hander’s career is in jeopardy. There is no timetable for his return at the moment.

Strasburg had been throwing near his home in Washington, but felt the return of his nerve issue during a recent bullpen session that caused him to shut things down once again. As of now, Martinez notes that there is no clear timetable for his arrival to spring training. The 34-year-old hurler has been limited to just eight total starts over the last three seasons while dealing with complications following his surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome.

The Nationals haven’t given any updates on his status or what -- if anything -- they expect from him during the 2023 season. He wound up making just one start during the 2022 season before he landed on the injured list due to a stress reaction in his ribs and a possible recurrence of thoracic outlet syndrome. At this point, it’s hard to count on him to make any starts in 2023 and he should simply be avoided for fantasy purposes.