Stephen Strasburg Got New Deal

Few pitchers have come into the Majors with as much hype as Stephen Strasburg did. He blew the doors off the league when he first got here. He made the all star team in 2012 and has dominating at times during his career. When you have stuff like his, a fastball that can be cranked up to almost 100 miles an hour, a two seamer that can move and dance around the strike zone and off speed pitches that can make hitters look foolish, you'd take full advantage of it. Washington had signed him to a one year deal prior to this year, avoiding arbitration. His fantastic start to this year has earned Strasburg a new deal. He was just signed to a seven year deal worth $175 million. Strasburg will receive a rolling opt-out clause after the third or fourth year of the contract and could receive $7 million in performance bonuses, sources said. He also will receive an additional $1 million bonus each season he reaches 180 innings pitched, according to sources (ESPN).

Well here's the thing with Strasburg. It is a good move by the Nationals for a couple of reasons. First it locks up the core of that pitching staff, with him and Max Scherzer at the top of that rotation. Its been well documented the arm troubles that he's had during his career. The rolling option opt-out clause after the third or fourth season is a good idea, because it gives both sides a chance to see how well this kid will hold up over the coming years. Having had Tommy John Surgery leaves question marks for a lot of pitchers. So far this season, the fact that Strasburg is 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA and 58 strikeouts in his first seven starts tells you that he's feeling OK right now. But that's right now.

Who knows what could happen down the road. He's had a good career in the big leagues, as in just over six years in the Majors, he has a career record of 59-37 with a 3.06 ERA. There is one thing though that could stick out like a sore thumb here. Yes he's been in the Majors since 2010, but he's had to make quite a few trips to the disabled list, including having Tommy John Surgery right at the end of the 2010 season. Sure he's made a great comeback since then, winning 15 games in 2012, 14 wins in 2013 and 11 wins last year. It appears that there have been no ill effects from the surgery, but it is still something to keep an eye one.

Money too was something to look at. The new deal's total dollars match the 2013-19 contract of the Seattle Mariners' Felix Hernandez for the sixth highest among big league pitchers. Byb comparison, David Price's deal with the Boston Red Sox that started this season is worth a record $217 million over seven years. Another of the few deals for a pitcher that tops Strasburg's is the one his Nationals teammate Max Scherzer received as a free agent before last season, paying $210 million, although half of that is deferred money (ESPN). These numbers go to show what ball clubs are willing to pay for big pitchers so they avoid losing them to the market. The Dodgers did the same thing when they Kept Clayton Kershaw. Hell Arizona just flung out a lot of money when they signed Zach Grenkie this past winter.

When he's on his game Strasburg is worth every penny he's going to get paid. Now the question is can he stay healthy the length of the deal?