It was reported that Washington Nationals starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg has opted out of the final four years and $100 million on his contract and is set to become a free agent.
According to Jon Heyman, it is not a foregone conclusion that Strasburg will be coming back to D.C. and will consider a move back to the area he grew up in. Here is what he said:
Some Nats people still like their chances to keep Strasburg despite rumors he’ll seriously consider Southern California. Dodgers, Padres and Angels all will seek starting pitching and could make plays for the SD native.
The right-hander has proven to be one of the best starters in baseball over the last handful of years, and that was especially in 2019. Strasburg had a strong regular-season campaign for the Nationals, leading the National League in wins with an 18-6 record to go along with a 3.32 ERA, 3.25 FIP and 1.04 WHIP with 251 strikeouts and 56 walks in 209 innings.
Despite a history with injuries early on in his career, Strasburg put in one of the best seasons in his 10-year MLB career in 2019. He finished the season with an NL-best 18 wins, 3.32 ERA and recorded a career-high 251 strikeouts to just 46 walks. Strasburg also threw 209 innings during the 2019 season which is a career high for him. He took home the World Series MVP award after finishing the postseason 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA.
Photo: Getty Images