The Washington Nationals are World Series champions, thanks in big part to Stephen Strasburg. The Nationals went 5-0 in games he started, including games two and five of the World Series.
Strasburg was especially brilliant in Game 5 when he pitched 8.1 innings and had seven strikeouts while allowing just two runs off five hits. His performance earned him World Series MVP and probably a big pay day as well.
As a result, Strasburg declined his $100 million dollar option, making him a free agent this offseason.
Nationals star and World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg plans to opt out of the final four years and $100M of his contract today and become a free agent, sources familiar with the situation tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 3, 2019
Things couldn’t have lined up any better for Strasburg. There may be no better time to test free agency when you’re fresh off a World Series run and a potential Cy Young season. Jeff Passan reported he is looking for a bigger deal than his original $175 million contract, which is considered “the floor” for negotiations.
Nationals fans shouldn’t be too nervous however, as the club figures to be favorites to re-sign their ace, though not without competition from several major league teams.
