Stephen Strasburg is set to become a free agent after the Washington Nationals co-ace opted out of his current contract, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Strasburg had four years and $100 million remaining on his deal. However, he had his best season of his career in 2019. He led the NL with a career-high 18 wins. He also had a career-high of 251 strikeouts (2nd in NL) and a 1.04 WHIP with a 3.32 ERA in an NL-leading 209 innings pitched.
He carried over that momentum into the postseason, becoming the first pitcher in MLB history to go 5-0 in the playoffs. He had a 1.98 ERA with a 0.94 WHIP. He also was tied for the most strikeouts during the 2019 playoffs with 47 in route to being named the World Series MVP.
By opting out now, Strasburg will receive an additional $30 million in deferred money from the Nationals over the next three seasons regardless what team he signs a new deal with, according to Cot’s Contracts.
After such a dominating postseason, Strasburg is expected to make much more than the $100 million he was set to make over the next four seasons. The Nationals are expected to be in play for the former No. 1 overall pick when free agency begins, according to Jesse Doughtery of The Washington Post.
