The Washington Nationals have been at the center of several rumors this offseason involving some of the pitchers on their roster, and those rumors only grew more prevalent after the team signed Max Scherzer to a contract that could be worth more than $200 million.
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The team has reportedly been considering dealing Jordan Zimmermann for several weeks now because he will be a free agent after the 2015 season. However, recently the team has also reportedly considered dealing its other ace - right-hander Stephen Strasburg.
Strasburg is just 26 years old, and he is already one of the best pitchers in the game when he is healthy. According to Bleacher Report, the issue for Washington could be finding a buyer. Several teams still want pitching help and have prospects that they could part with - including the San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox. There is no doubt that Washington will expect a tremendous return for Strasburg, but exactly what is he worth?
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He is unquestionably an elite pitcher, and he still offers three more years of team control at a price far below what other great pitchers like Clayton Kershaw get paid. Strasburg does have an injury history though. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2010, and he has pitched under a limited workload since then. 2014 was the first time that he exceeded 200 innings in a season.
Also, Strasburg is only four months younger than Clayton Kershaw, and he's almost a year older than Madison Bumgarner. Teams may be reluctant to give up so much for a player that is entering his prime with such relatively little experience.
Obviously comparing Strasburg to two of the best pitchers in the game is not entirely fair, but Strasburg is still viewed based partially on his potential. He was regarded as the best pitching prospect in years when he was drafted first overall.
Strasburg is already an ace, but it is expected to take "a significant haul of prospects" to land Strasburg, and even that might be an understatement. Trade partners may not want to pay for potential. Strasburg could certainly be better than Clayton Kershaw in a few years, but if it will take a Kershaw-level package to get Strasburg now, it may be a gamble that is not worth taking.
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