Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals was placed on the 60-day injured list before their game against Cincinnati. The move comes after Strasburg, the 2019 World Series MVP, has been sidelined since June 2022 due to career-altering injuries. Despite having three seasons left on a seven-year, $245 million contract, Strasburg contemplated retirement in late August without holding a news conference. The Nationals indicated in September that they anticipated his return at spring training, although Strasburg did not report to their training facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The presence of Strasburg on the roster primarily impacts a protected spot for the Rule 5 draft in December. He is owed $35 million annually, with a portion of the amount deferred at a 1% interest rate. The deferred payments are scheduled to be made in equal installments on July 1 in 2027, 2028, and 2029, with an additional interest payment due on December 31, 2029. Negotiating a retirement agreement might involve restructuring the money owed to Strasburg.
In addition to Strasburg’s situation, the Nationals made other roster moves by selecting the contracts of Matt Barnes, Derek Law, Eddie Rosario and Jesse Winker from Triple-A Rochester. Barnes and Rosario will each earn $2 million salaries while in the major leagues, while Law will receive $1.5 million. Meanwhile, Cade Cavalli (recovering from Tommy John surgery), Mason Thompson (suffering from a left lat strain) and Jose Ferrer (suffering from a left lat strain) were placed on the 60-day injured list. Outfielder Stone Garrett (currently in recovery from left ankle reconstruction surgery) was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to March 25.
The news about Stephen Strasburg’s injury has caused concern among Nationals fans as he is one of their top pitchers and was instrumental in their World Series victory in 2019. However, it remains uncertain if he will ever return to play again or if this injury will mark the end of his career as he had contemplated retirement earlier this year without holding a news conference.
The Nationals have been busy making roster moves ahead of their game against Cincinnati as they try to fill some spots left vacant by injuries and signings elsewhere. While these moves may not have an immediate impact on their performance this season or next year’s playoffs chances, they could affect how they approach future seasons and potentially impact their overall team dynamics.
Overall, it seems that Washington is taking steps towards rebuilding its pitching rotation for future years while also preparing for potential changes within its lineup ahead of key games like those against Cincinnati or other top teams like New York or Los Angeles Angels down the line.
As for Stephen Strasburg’s situation with his contract payments being deferred until July of several years ahead could be seen as both positive and negative depending on how you look at it. On one hand it can give him time to heal from his injuries while also providing him with financial security but on another hand it puts pressure on him to perform once he returns which may not be possible given his current physical state.
With all these factors coming into play one thing is clear – Washington Nationals have big decisions ahead when it comes to building their team for future seasons and ensuring that they remain competitive at every turn possible despite facing significant challenges like injuries and financial pressures like those faced by Stephen Strasburg’s contract payments being deferred over time until well into the future.