Strasburg Signed

[LookinUp]

Per ESPN. Link to follow.

[TakebackOPACY]

4 yrs $15.67m per Aaron Fitt of BA.

http://twitter.com/BaseballAmerica/status/3376193396

I'm sure I have a few witnesses from the OH night on Saturday that I predicted he'd sign for between $15.5m and $17.5m. I thought I was wrong when this $20m rumor came out... but about $16m makes sense.

EDIT: Credit to mlbtraderumors. I got the above link from the site.

[PHRESH]

So who wants to bet he's a bust?

[Crazysilver03]

That is big for Washington. If the contract breaks down to $4M a year, that isnt bad at all.

Of course, they will most likely trade him before he hits his 2nd or 3rd year of arbitration because he will break the bank in arbitraton, probably setting records.

[GoldGlove21]

So who wants to bet he's a bust?

He will pitch in the big leagues and even if he performs as a #4 starter right away, he will not be a bust for $4 Million per year. He just might not be Roy Halladay and many pitchers from many drafts are not.

[alexei606]

That is big for Washington. If the contract breaks down to $4M a year, that isnt bad at all.

Of course, they will most likely trade him before he hits his 2nd or 3rd year of arbitration because he will break the bank in arbitraton, probably setting records.

Keith Law agrees:

And they paid less than I expected to sign Strasburg this year. They just added a potential No. 1 starter to their organization for maybe 10 percent of what an established No. 1 starter would cost in free agency

Yes, I think that the Nats did well and have their TOR and crowd draw (Law believes that "Strasburg could pitch this September in a limited role"). A few million less than I expected it would take but, I knew it would take a substantial amount more than Prior's haul.

[Crazysilver03]

Keith Law agrees:

Yes, I think that the Nats did well and have their TOR and crowd draw (Law believes that "Strasburg could pitch this September in a limited role"). A few million less than I expected it would take but, I knew it would take a substantial amount more than Prior's haul.

The Nationals already came out and said Strasburg won't be in the majors until 2010 at the earliest.

[alexei606]

The Nationals already came out and said Strasburg won't be in the majors until 2010 at the earliest.

Yeah, after that I saw Boras state that he expects that 2010 would be the earliest and he hopes that the Nationals would "go slow and give him time to develop".

Another thought that Strasburg would make a "cameo" appearance or two this September - I think that is what Law was saying as well - you know - to drum up the fan base in Washington and get them excited about the future. I don't think that will happen either.

The pressure next year if Strasburg does what has been hyped will be like atmospheric to bring the guy up or to make the team out of spring training. It will be interesting and let's see how he does in the AFL (assuming he goes).