Stephen Strasburg, pitcher and Scott Boras client

also, I don't want to speak too soon on this but the fact that the Tigers have the 5th highest payroll and play in the weakest division (by far) and yet are still 2 games out says a lot about this kind of thinking. at the beginning of the season nobody would even consider that the Tigers would miss out on the playoffs. now B-P only gives them a 32% shot.

at the beginning of the season nobody would even consider that the Tigers would miss out on the playoffs.

I considered it. The only "big splash" active-roster change made between '11 and '12 was the signing of Fielder, who replaced Martinez -- not much difference. They're only three games worse than they were at this point last year, and their differential is better by 26 runs.

The White Sox are seven games better. That doesn't seem all that crazy, either.

You could say that the Rays had nothing to lose in 2008 because they were loaded with young talent and would have plenty of other chances to win. That might still be true, but you never know, the playoffs are a crapshoot.

Neyer on the Shutdown:

"One thing I keep noticing, though, is this bizarre belief that if only Stephen Strasburg is allowed to pitch, the Nationals will win the World Series, or probably win the World Series, or maybe they won't win the World Series but they'll have a lot better chance with Strasburg than without him.

It's just not true. With Strasburg, the Nationals' chances of winning the World Series are somewhere between 10 and 15 percent. Without Strasburg, the Nationals' chances of winning the World Series are somewhere between 10 and 15 percent. With him, maybe it's 12.8 percent. Without him, maybe it's 10.6 percent.

Most of the discussion seems to be centered around what the grounding of Stephen Strasburg means to the Washington Nationals. But I don't think all that many folks really care much about the Washington Nationals. I think most folks care about themselves; in this context, that means most folks really, really want to see Stephen Strasburg pitching in big games next month.

I want to see that, too. But not if it means I can't see him pitching next season, or if it means he won't be pitching brilliantly for the next 15 season. For a long time, the balance was swung far too much in favor of winning today. The Nationals probably haven't found the perfect balance. But if we have to swing a bit too far the other way, at least for a while, there are worse things."

http://mlb.sbnation.com/2012/9/12/3318308/stephen-strasburg-shut-down-washington-nationals

"Huh. Why is it that most people are neither as enlightened nor as selfless as me, Rob Neyer? You know, from time to time, I do think about these things." -- Rob Neyer

WHO said the Nationals WOULD WIN or PROBABLY WOULD WIN the World Series with Strasburg?

The negative reactions I've read have been no more complex than "The Nationals should use their best pitcher."

aside from the strawman, i mostly agree with Neyer.

With Strasburg, the Nationals' chances of winning the World Series are somewhere between 10 and 15 percent. Without Strasburg, the Nationals' chances of winning the World Series are somewhere between 10 and 15 percent. With him, maybe it's 12.8 percent. Without him, maybe it's 10.6 percent.

The numbers are probably right, but that's beside the point. The Angels could win the WS without Trout (if they make the playoffs), but why would they want to try? Any team could win a short series without their best player because baseball isn't basketball, one player doesn't make all that much of a difference especially over seven games.

Even using Neyer's numbers, you could say that even though their overall chances of winning the WS are low, the Nats chances are improved by 20 percent -- 100 x (12.8 - 10.6)/10.6 -- with Strasburg pitching, which is a LOT.

I think he might've been alluding to the Tim McCarvers of the world (is there more than one?).

Another big thing on Strasburg that I don't think is behind the paywall yet:

http://www.billjamesonline.com/shutting_down_strasburg/

i was gonna mention that pissing off your best player seems like a bad idea in general, the Nats should still be two years away from locking him up (if indeed they do)

This is easily the dumbest thing since Joba Rules.

Strasburg ERA: 3.16
Lannan ERA in one game replacing Strasburg so far: 0

clearly a disaster for the Nats

pissing off your best player seems like a bad idea in general

is Harper pissed off?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/nationals-journal/wp/2012/09/12/stephen-strasburg-pinch-hitter

Strasburg made his final start of the season five days ago, but already he has become antsy with no more starts to look forward to. During the Nationals’ series in New York, Strasburg has shagged batting practice in center field, mostly standing by himself.

“He’s been pestering (pitching coach Steve McCatty) about what he can do,” Johnson said. “Can I keep throwing off the mound? No. Can I play catch in the outfield? Yes. It’s pretty bad now, but it’s going to get worse. Because he’s going to be champing.”

Maybe he should get some reps behind the plate in case they need an emergency catcher! He could roll the ball back -- anything, as long as he doesn't use his arm.

Poor guy is going to Darren Baker himself during the playoffs.

https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSgta1rY33Sf3yR55Y4fFyweDYMVO8ytPKVxMMhqXZiPALNcNl5

Morse, Strasburg

id been wondering abt what hes actually been doing

perfect time to start a tidy lil drug habit imo

Jazayerli:

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/8369941/history-shows-washington-nationals-shut-stephen-strasburg-too-soon

That's a really great article.

Strasburg out after 2 IP vs. Braves. Was shaking his arm and rolling his shoulders and neck between pitches. Pissed about having to come out, unsurprisingly.

He takes that ball EVERY FIFTH DAY.

Maybe he slept on the ball last night.

@jaysonst 10m
Not only was that the first time Strasburg had ever allowed a slam. It was the first HR he'd ever allowed with more than one man on.

@ajcbraves
#Nats Strasburg now 1-2 with 5.79 ERA in 6 starts at Turner Field, with 24 hits, 15 ER, 15 walks, 28 strikeouts in 23-1/3 innings.

http://static.foxsports.com/content/fscom/img/2013/08/18/081713-MLB-Nationals-Stephen-Strasburg-PI-AA_20130818021124840_660_320.JPG

"Peace out."

i haven't been following it much, but from the videoclips i just watched, braves fans are complete assholes for cheering on as harper got hit by pitches. that's just fucking lame. i'm sure the washington fans cheered as their pitchers hit the braves hitters (well, maybe not - nats fans don't really know anything about baseball afaict)

here's the video, for those who haven't seen it: http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130817&content_id=57330152&vkey=news_mlb&c_id=mlb

awesome

i don't think i've ever seen an ump throw a guy out while the ball was still in play like that

That was pretty weird looking.

getting beaned by stephen strasburg sounds very un-fun

a few months ago there was a florida state league beanball fest going on between palm beach (cardinals) and fort myers (twins). a palm beach pitcher threw behind twins stud prospect miguel sano and both benches were warned.

sano obliterated the next pitch, paused his trot on the way to first to taunt the palm beach dugout, and was immediately ejected.

they let the homer/run count, tho i suspect that was technically not the correct decision.

why not let the homer/run count? because he was ejected on the way around his home run taunt trot?

you gotta touch all the bases, right? can you pinch run for a guy on his way around?

What happened with Strasburg tonight? Was there a long rain delay, or did he hurt himself?

The former.

Are they going to shut him down for the playoffs off-season?

@injuryexpert
Report from @Holdenradio that Strasburg had bone chips removed this offseason. Feels good but that's a terrible sign longer term.

@injuryexpert
Re Strasburg, means he's likely slamming his olecranon with pitches. Insidious damage.

gettin paid

Yeah since when does Boras negotiate midseason? I guess anything is possible when there's an opt out clause involved.

Maybe he read the tweet Andy k posted just above

I just stare @ the 2019 column *_*

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSN/2016-payroll-salaries.shtml

no hits allowed in 1st start back from dl, lifted after 6.2IP (4BB)

season not over?

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/09/stephen-strasburg-diagnosed-with-flexor-mass-strain-no-ligament-damage-found.html

Nats medical staff might be headed by the same fellow who, as a gum-chomping ER bro in 2004, thought my wife's crippling pain -- which just happened to be located where she had an emergency C-section a few days prior -- was appendicitis.

pretty sad article. he may be done. :(

this is a "gift link", so won't count against the Washington Post paywall/etc:

Stephen Strasburg gave his body to baseball. Now his future is a mystery.

...But since 2019, when he raised a trophy above his head — when his arms were only heavy because of the long climb to the top — Strasburg has not felt comfortable on a major league mound. And last summer, he literally gave parts of his body to baseball, having had a full rib and two neck muscles removed in a surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome that threatens his career.

He has not thrown a ball in more than three months. He’s not certain he will pitch again.

“I feel like every time I’ve had an injury, I felt like I was going to be the best there is coming back,” Strasburg, 34, told The Washington Post this week “ … This is the one that’s still definitely a big question mark.

“I realize the clock is ticking. It’s been almost three years since I’ve been able to pitch competitively, and it’s not like I’m getting younger.”

To explain how he got here, to the point of not knowing what’s next, Strasburg goes back to 2018. The first sign of thoracic outlet syndrome was lingering tightness in his neck. He spent time on the injured list. After the season, he visited a specialist, who injected Botox into his neck to shut down the muscles and alleviate built-up scar tissue.

Strasburg then had his best winter in years, wondering why he could do so many biceps curls and throw without an aching shoulder despite his extensive injury history. Even before the title run, he made more than 30 starts for the first time in a half decade. He felt that maybe, just maybe, there was new life after all his health complications. But lurking beneath the surface, lending doubt whenever Strasburg stretched his neck or shook his right hand, was so much wear and tear on his neck, shoulder and the rest of his prized arm.

The coronavirus pandemic complicated his progress. When the sport returned from a shutdown, Strasburg felt a “zap” whenever he threw between simulated games. His hand tingled in the middle of the night, let alone whenever he pitched. A test revealed carpal tunnel neuritis, and Strasburg underwent surgery for it in August 2020. But he now believes the procedure could have delayed addressing the real issue of neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.

The condition stems from the compression of nerve roots in the brachial plexus, a nerve network above the collarbone that provides movement and feeling to the arm and hand. It is most commonly diagnosed in pitchers, with specialists citing repeated arm injuries and high-effort throwing as main causes.

...

The season after carpal tunnel surgery, Strasburg’s problems came earlier and earlier in his starts. His neck was stiff. His shoulder was sore. He often took multiple cortisone shots, trying to last 100 pitches and stay on the field. But after five appearances, enough was enough. Strasburg flew to Texas to see Gregory Pearl, a leading surgeon for thoracic outlet syndrome, and had the procedure two days later.

This was July 2021. In the 14 months since, Strasburg has had three setbacks, tested positive for the coronavirus in April and this summer mourned the death of his father. He started for the Nationals on June 9 and immediately went to the injured list with a stress reaction in the second and third ribs on the right side of his body. Before landing there, he tried throwing a change-up after that lone outing in June, felt three pops in his shoulder and knew that meant trouble. He looks a lot like he did in his prime, a 6-foot-5 starter who detailed this saga in a T-shirt and shorts, his uniform for another daily rehab session. What plagues him is beneath his imposing figure.

“I’ve been doing very minimal exercises, and I’ve seen some improvements as far as the way my shoulder is sitting,” said Strasburg, who is at Nationals Park for every home game and coordinating with team medical staff when the club is on the road. “But I feel like the strength is not quite there, and I’m not really sure what the future holds.”

he’s 34??

time flies when you're on the IL. from the article it sounds like TOS was lurking for a long time, was probably unavoidable. but it's conspicuous that the worst of his injuries seems to have happened after 2019, when he threw 209 IP, only the second time he'd thrown more than 185 IP in a season, and then followed that up with 36 (very good) playoff innings. I'm glad that the nats won that year, at least.

not that i'm criticizing him or the nats for letting him throw a ton of innings in 2019. i mean, if you could tell the future, in 2019, and you told strasburg that he could either shut down for the season to have TOS surgery and maybe never come back, oooooor keep throwing another 100 really good innings and win the world series, I wonder which one he or the team would pick.

that contract, tho

hmmm

It was the Nationals who approached Strasburg about retiring and paying him the full amount of his contract, sources briefed on the matter say. The team wants to change the terms. https://t.co/gm6tz3fZE9

— Britt Ghiroli (@Britt_Ghiroli) September 7, 2023

Nationals owner says team not hosting Strasburg retirement ceremony

this whole thing is a pathetic own-goal

I just read that Strasburg's contract was not insured (who would insure it given his injury history?) so now I understand why the Nats' management are being such as assholes about this.

And yet somehow, even though the team is up for sale, Rizzo hasn't been extended, and the scouting team has been gutted, they might finish ahead of the Mets.