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Strasburg out for up to 2 years... what we can learn from it.


glorydays

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Anyone that criticizes the Nats for picking him due to being an injury risk is guilty of confirmation bias. The guy has already been worth 2.6 WAR - good for about $10.5MM in value. Couple in the attendance boost, TV ratings, merchandise sales...I bet the guy has been worth to close to his $15.1MM contract even if he NEVER throws another pitch in the major leagues.

This year I agree he was a good sign - but the Nats signed him for more than this year.

If this had been the Yankees, Strasburg could have made the difference between the WC or the division or missing the playoffs entirely, but the Nats weren't competing.

They needed somebody for the long haul - a franchise cornerstone. What they got was a player for basically 1/2 a season, which is what a playoff contender usually adds to put them over the top.

Strasburg won't be the same for awhile if he ever returns to his dominant ways. And like Prior and Wood, he'll likely be injury prone for his career because of that delivery.

That's simply wasn't the right move for a franchise like the Nationals IMO. It worked for this year but Strasburg won't be there for next year or maybe the year after. What do they do then?

Bryce Harper will have even more pressure to pick up the void of attention that was focused on Strasburg, and that may not bode well...

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The Nats treated him with kid gloves. They did everything according to modern-day theory to keep him healthy. Unfortunately, pitchers get injured at what seem to be ridiculously high rates - using modern-day theories on protecting them. It's probably past time for MLB to do studies on why young pitchers continue to get serious injuries.

The Nationals had him throw a different changeup as the one he had was equally evident to major league hitters as it was to fans in the stands.

According to link provided by OP, it appears that the "new" changeup tore the ligament on a singular pitch.

There is no such thing as a pitching prospect. I would rather have Brad Bergesen right now than Strasburg.

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I would rather have Brad Bergesen right now than Strasburg.
Holy crap that's bold.

He's having TJ surgery, not having the arm amputated. Some of the best pitchers around the league have had Tommy John. Its by no means a death sentence like labrum surgery basically is.

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That's because there isn't any.

I think I've read before that the reason pitchers usually gain velocity is that their arm was weak before they actually go under the knife due to wear and tear (that eventually forces surgery). When they come back, their arm/elbow/ligaments/whatever is back to normal strength, so they gain velocity. Really it's more of ... before they're at negative velocity (from their norm), and then after surgery they're at normal velocity. But I could misremember that.

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This is sad news. I'm no fan of the Nats, but I enjoy baseball in general and this kid was really something special and enjoyable to watch pitch. I hope he comes back.

This is true when the Ligament has a chronic or wear injury. In Strasburg's case, his was determined to be acute or a sudden injury. There will be no 104 fastballs from the rebuilt arm.

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Holy crap that's bold.

He's having TJ surgery, not having the arm amputated. Some of the best pitchers around the league have had Tommy John. Its by no means a death sentence like labrum surgery basically is.

How many years was Strasburg 's contract for? It sounds like three years of it are over now. The value of Strasburg to the Nats was that he was good to go from draft day. Kinda like Matusz. He's 22 now. He will probably be 24 before he throws another pitch competitively.

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How many years was Strasburg 's contract for? It sounds like three years of it are over now. The value of Strasburg to the Nats was that he was good to go from draft day. Kinda like Matusz. He's 22 now. He will probably be 24 before he throws another pitch competitively.

He'll have five years under team control if he comes back to start 2012.

Not a Danys Baez situation...

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How many years was Strasburg 's contract for? It sounds like three years of it are over now. The value of Strasburg to the Nats was that he was good to go from draft day. Kinda like Matusz. He's 22 now. He will probably be 24 before he throws another pitch competitively.

Still a big statement. I mean to Mackus's point the guy didn't die. Strasburg with TJ surgery still has a much much higher ceiling then Bergesen.

I personally think his value is not just about being able to go from day one. (maybe that is what helped drive up his signing bonus somewhat) but the guy is a once in a generation talent. It was easily the right decision to draft him.

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Trea - you do realize that this is bad news for Peter's checkbook and his alleged arrangement with Andy MacPhail to boost profits without boosting winning? As a matter of fact, this may cause PA to bring back AM past his current contract. Uh oh...

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Annoying as the hype fest might have been, I don't wish this on anybody. Make no mistake, this is bad for the game of baseball. Not just the Nats, Orioles, or MASN, but for entire game. No prospect that I can think of has generated the kind of hype and effects that Strasburg has this season.

I don't for one second believe that the Nationals were wrong in taking him, and I absolutely don't subscribe to the asinine theory that you wait to take pitchers till later rounds due to injury concerns. If you have a chance to add franchise changing talent, no matter the position, you take them. You can look at any sport and find examples of a team passing over "needs" for talent, and it's worked.

The response the Nationals would have gotten had they passed on Strasburg for anyone, no matter the position or talent level, would have been so negative that it would have taken years to overcome. There was every reason, going beyond just talent, that made it necessary for the Nationals to draft Strasburg. I don't fault them for doing so, and I'd have been calling them brain dead morons had they passed over him.

Strasburg will be back, and there's enough examples of pitchers who have gotten better after TJ surgery. Lest we forget the man is only 22 years old. Not 25, not 30, but 22. He's still got a long, talented career ahead of him as long as he keeps his head on straight, and learns from whatever has put him in this situation.

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Still a big statement. I mean to Mackus's point the guy didn't die. Strasburg with TJ surgery still has a much much higher ceiling then Bergesen.

I personally think his value is not just about being able to go from day one. (maybe that is what helped drive up his signing bonus somewhat) but the guy is a once in a generation talent. It was easily the right decision to draft him.

I absolutely agree with what you said here. I think that it is a shame that this has occurred also.

I also think that the high ceiling that he had, (HOF) is a pipe dream at this point. Hopefully he will become a good pitcher again.

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How many years was Strasburg 's contract for? It sounds like three years of it are over now. The value of Strasburg to the Nats was that he was good to go from draft day. Kinda like Matusz. He's 22 now. He will probably be 24 before he throws another pitch competitively.

It doesn't matter how long his contract's for, they've got him for 6 years of service time. He'll get <1 for this year, and 1 for 2011. So he'll be at 1 and some change heading into 2012. Meaning he'll still be under control for 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. His contract was a 4-year deal, which means his salaries are already negotiated for 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Starting in 2013 he'll be arbitration eligible until he becomes a free agent, unless they sign an extension. So his arbitration price for 2013 will be based on how well he pitches when he comes back in 2012.

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