In the fall of 2019, Stephen Strasburg was on top of the baseball world. The former top prospect had finally come to terms with the injuries that plagued his early career and was the pitching ace who led his Nationals to World Series conquest.
He had, deservedly, been named MVP of the World Series.
Free agent in the making, he then signed a huge seven-year contract for the very tidy sum of $ 245 million. It was a big sum, but it was well deserved for a guy who had given so much to the franchise.
The problem, however, is that the injuries have come back to haunt the gunner. Since the start of his pact in 2020, he has thrown just 31.1 innings, having been plagued by major injuries involving the nervous system.
And in the end, Strasburg finally raises the white flag: he intends to officially announce his retirement at the beginning of September. September 9 would be the target date for the official announcement.
In the end, the risks to his overall long-term health are too great to consider seeing him return to the game. The pitcher has tried everything, including surgery in 2021 to have a rib and neck muscle removed, but it didn’t have the desired effect.
His process to try to return to the game had been on pause since the beginning of the summer, and obviously he will not resume.
It’s really a shame to see him being forced to hang up his cleats on such a bitter note. The best prospect in the history of the sport may not have pitched as long as he would have liked, but he delivered memorable moments regardless.
His first career start, for example, made an impression.
And the good news is that he had time to win a World Series title before being forced into retirement. He left everything on the court in 2019, but at least he can still boast of having won a World Series.
I don’t know if Strasburg and the Nationals will come to an agreement so that the pitcher can continue to be paid, but clearly, a large sum of money will leave the books of the Nationals.
We really want Strasburg to be able to enjoy his post-career health. Injuries have not spared him in recent years and he deserves to have a break at this level.
And on the baseball side, I have no doubt that the Nationals will make sure to honor him for his immense contribution to franchise history on the Washington side. Between him and Ryan Zimmerman, we’re talking about two guys who deserve to be recognized in Nationals history.
