The Washington Nationals and ace Stephen Strasburg reportedly have agreed to a new deal to bring the pitcher back to D.C.
The Winter Meetings are taking place in San Diego this week, which is Strasburg’s home town. Teams are negotiating with free agents during that time, and the Nats and Strasburg apparently reached a deal, as first reported by Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman. ESPN’s Jeff Passan says the deal is for 7 years and worth $245 million. The deal may contain deferred payments, which is how Strasburg’s previous contract was structured.
Strasburg originally signed a 7-year, $175 million contract in May 2016. He opted out of the four years he had left on his deal (2020-2023) after winning World Series MVP for the Nats, in order to pursue a new contract.
Even though teams like the Padres and Phillies were said to have interest, the expectation always was that Strasburg would reach a new deal to remain with Washington.
Strasburg is coming off arguably his best season ever. The 31-year-old went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA, with a career-high 251 strikeouts. The 209 innings he pitched were the second-most of his career. He was also dominant in the postseason, going 5-0.
