MLB Trade Rumors 2016: Stephen Strasburg Counting on Free Agency Options
Stephen Strasburg is one of the few star pitchers in the league right now who's going to be playing for a new team after this season with the news that he and his current team, the Washington Nationals, are no longer pursuing a contract extension. Both parties agreed to a salary of $10.4 million, good for one year, last month to avoid going to arbitration.
According to Strasburg's agent, Scott Boras, both sides are in mutual agreement not to discuss any long-term deal until the 2016 is done, and while there's always that respect of gauging both of their interests once the season is done, history will say that this type of marriage isn't going to last any longer. "We amicably agreed to a one-year deal," Boras said in an interview with Fox Sports. "He is going to pitch, and we'll see where it goes from there," he added.
The 27-year-old was hampered by a couple of injuries last season, including his back and shoulders, allowing him to play in only 23 starts. In those games, he went 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA. He missed time after undergoing a procedure to remove an abnormal growth on his back in October of last year, but it was revealed to be non-cancerous.
Although the former no. 1 overall pick didn't have a good season last year, he and his agent still believe they can land a big payday once he decides to test free agency. His potential is still there, as proven by him bouncing back after a Tommy John surgery back in 2011, where he missed majority of that season.
With the neck and shoulder issues he suffered during the early part of the season, Strasburg couldn't hide the struggles on the field, though he still had a decent strikeout rate. He allowed 2.7 walks per nine innings during that stretch and his batters had an average of .355 on balls in play.
