Stephen Strasburg Contract Might Haunt Nationals

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

The Washington Nationals are off to a disappointing 5-7 start to the 2021 MLB season, but the most worrisome part of it all may be the play of starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg. He was placed on the injured list again Sunday due to shoulder inflammation and has a poor 6.30 ERA so far this year.

Strasburg signed a massive seven-year, $245 million contract prior to the 2020 season, but he has continued to struggle with injuries ever since. He has started just four games since then and is locked up through the 2026 season.

Stephen Strasburg Contract

This is the kind of contract that can haunt the Nationals for years to come if Strasburg cannot find a way to turn things around soon. Despite deferring $80 million of the deal to preserve payroll flexibility, Washington is still set to owe Strasburg $23 million every year from 2021-2026.

It's important to note that Strasburg lead the NL with 18 wins just two years ago. He went 18-6 during the 2019 season, posting a 3.32 ERA with 251 strikeouts in 209.0 innings pitched. While Strasburg's play definitely backed up the new contract, he needs to return to form for that to stay true.

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on Strasburg throughout season to see if he can figure things out.

As of right now, the Nationals have +850 odds to win the NL East and +3500 odds to win the World Series, according to MLB future odds posted on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.