SAN DIEGO — Follow the money and you will see what the Nationals prioritize.
There was $210 million for Max Scherzer, $140 million for Patrick Corbin and now the largest ever given by them — or to a pitcher — $245 million to retain Stephen Strasburg.
There also was seven years at $175 million. That is what the Nationals handed Strasburg in May 2016 to keep him from going out into free agency following that campaign. But there was an opt-out after three years that Strasburg triggered after being named World Series MVP. He was walking away from four years at $100 million.
He was walking into something far more substantial. The most money previously given a pitcher was the $217 million the Red Sox bestowed on David Price — albeit to be a short-lived record once Gerrit Cole signs. Strasburg’s contract includes $80 million in deferrals to be paid with interest in the three years after this seven-year deal concludes.
Strasburg was selected with the first-overall pick in 2009, Bryce Harper with the first pick in 2010. But when it came time for free agency, the Nationals made an effort to keep Harper, but ultimately let him go last offseason for 13 years at $330 million to the Phillies. They did not let Strasburg flee. The key to finally winning the organization’s first championship was the elite starting pitching and now Washington keeps it together. It probably means their best all-around player, Anthony Rendon, now leaves in free agency.
The Nationals were strongly lambasted for not allowing Strasburg to pitch down the stretch and in the postseason in 2012, the year after needing Tommy John surgery. He had been oft-injured and mostly hinted at his brilliance. But in his 2019 walk year, Strasburg combined greater craft and health to enjoy his best season. Then in the postseason he was 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA, justifying his usage up to then and positioning him to sign this record contract.