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There were very few players that I would actively root for on any given day that didn't play for my favorite team, the New York Yankees. Stephen Strasburg was one of them. A marquee player that was so dominant at his position, constantly battled injuries his entire career. This week, he has now announced that he will be stepping away from the game, and that sucks to hear.
Who could forget the former first round overall picks debut. He came in during the 2010 season and struck out 14 in his first game. In his second and third major league starts he struck out another eight and ten batters respectively. Sadly, his season was cut short not too far after, tearing his UCL and requiring Tommy John surgery.
Over the years, Strasburg showed signs of power, but still faced many IL stints and injury shutdowns. In his 3x All-Star career, he recorded a 113-62 record, boasting a 3.24 ERA and 1,723 strikeouts. His best performance was for the historic Washington World Series run, where he started two games in the tournament, winning both of them and striking out a combined 14, ultimately winning the MVP.
After signing for a whopping seven-year, $245 million contract in December 2019, which was a record-high deal for a pitcher at the time, he never returned back to his true form. From the contract signing day, he only pitched a mere 31 and 1/3 innings, most recently back in June of 2022.
, Strasburg had season-ending carpal tunnel surgery to address tingling and numbness in his hand back in 2020, which later led to a diagnosis of a rare condition called thoracic outlet syndrome. The condition manifests when pressures in the space between the collarbone (clavicle) and the first rib increase to the point of impinging vessels or nerves. Strasburg was reportedly unable to get back to form after the procedure, which included the removal of a rib and two neck muscles.
According to the report, Strasburg made multiple efforts to return to the bullpen. He reportedly trained near his home in northern Virginia until pain returned ahead of spring training this year, which he missed. He has reportedly been shut down from physical activity since the end of April.
You truly hate to see it. As a baseball fan, the game was better when Strasburg was healthy. On the other hand, this is a major blow for the Nationals organization. One, because he was a monumental figure for the team, and one of the only remaining players that were part of their 2019 World Series win (shoutout Patrick Corbin). But on a books standpoint, Strasburg was on his 4th year of that seven-year, $245 million contract. The contract was not insured, per Bob Nightengale, and the Nat's are on the hook for its entirety. He will continue be paid $35 million annually through 2026 (with about $11.4M deferred each year). He then will receive $26.6M in 2027, 2028 and 2029 in his owed deferred payments. Good for Strasburg, bad for Washington.
At the end of the day, seeing such a dominant player get hindered by injuries is brutal. Strasburg was one of the most dominant and electric prospects turned into top ace pitchers, and I hate to see him leave the game due to injury. Best of luck, and congrats on a great career