MLB: Strasburg to be shutdown after 2-3 more starts

[RayShimley]

Team is in first place in the NL east and about to make the play-offs for the first time in (albeit short) team history. How are you not furious if you are a Nationals fan? Last year of the guy's contract and he is a Boras client. What guarantee do they even have of re-signing him? He could leave the Nats without ever pitching a meaningful game.Stephen Strasburg to make two or three more starts | HardballTalk

 

[IcSyU]

The Nats general manager is an idiot. This might be the best chance you have to win a World Series in the next decade. Take it for God's sake! This is where I become a bigger fan of Nolan Ryan's approach.

 

[tm3308]

As a Cubs fan, I can certainly sympathize with the Nats. He's already had Tommy John, and if you feel you can bring him back, you don't want to ruin him. He was brought along quickly, and with an arm like that, you have to be careful.

 

[TheCaptain]

So why not shut him down now and bring him back in time for the postseason?

You limit his innings and still have your best pitcher for the playoffs.
I say go for it when you can.

 

[RayShimley]

As a Cubs fan, I can certainly sympathize with the Nats. He's already had Tommy John, and if you feel you can bring him back, you don't want to ruin him. He was brought along quickly, and with an arm like that, you have to be careful.

Or Boras has just been playing Rizzo this whole time trying to make Strasburg as valuable as possible for when the Yankees or BoSox come calling. This has all the makings of a classic Boras screw job.

 

[sfcyclonefan]

As a National fan it doesn't bother me too much. To me its a bet and they are betting they are going to be good for a while. And it is unquestionably safer to shut him down, just not certain. As for the last year of his contract, he is under team control till 2016 so thats not a concern at all.

I of course would like him to pitch, but its not my shoulder and its not my money invested in him. Plus, this theory has had tangible results. This year's draft pick, as it has been implied by reporters, signed out of high school because he knew the Nationals would act in his best interest with his elbow (he's having TJ surgury), rather than go to school and get healthy and get drafted higher out of college.

In the end I have a hard time being too upset with a team treating a player like a person and not a boxing robot from Real Steel. (Yup, referenced that)

 

[DistrictCyclone]

The Nats will be fine; they'll still have two Cy Young worthy pitchers in Gonzalez and Zimmermann, and John Lannan is certainly a serviceable replacement in the rotation. Even when you swap Stras for Lannan, they'll have one of the best rotations in baseball (behind only the Rays and maybe Giants) and still have a great shot at winning it all.

If the medical staff honestly feels that he should be shut down, do it. Don't risk his future playing and/or trade value by rolling the dice when it's not absolutely necessary.