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The Spectacle Blog
Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson has announced that pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be shut down for the rest of the season.
Last week, the Nationals indicated that Strasburg’s final start would take place on September 12th. However, after giving up five runs over three innings last night against the Miami Marlins, the Nats decided to pull the trigger early.
Strasburg missed most of the 2011 season due to Tommy John surgery and from the outset Nationals GM Mike Rizzo had indicated that Strasburg would be shut down at some point during the 2012 season. It had been widely reported he would be shut down once he reached 160 innings. This has created more discussion than any other topic in MLB this season. After last night’s start, Strasburg had pitched 159 and one third innings.
This is especially so because the Nats were not expecting to lead the NL East from pillar to post which has complicated the matter considerably. Frankly, I don’t think all this babying does Strasburg any favors. If he’s healthy then he should pitch.
As for the Nats, their starting rotation is arguably the best in MLB. In fact, you could make the argument that Gio Gonzalez, not Strasburg is the ace of that staff. Gonzalez has more wins and a lower ERA than Strasburg. Gonzalez along with Edwin Jackson, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler make for a strong foursome. John Lannan will become the number five starter in Strasburg’s absence.
Strasburg finishes the season 15-6 with a 3.16 ERA. He struck out 198 batters while walking only 48 in those 159 and a third innings. Strasburg averaged 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings in 2012.
The Nats currently have a six and a half game lead in the NL East with 24 games left to play. Chances are shutting down Strasburg won’t harm them. However, it should be noted the Nats have not had a losing streak of more than five games this season. Strasburg is a big reason for this fact. Eight of Strasburg’s 15 wins came following a Nats loss. If the Nats collapse and fail to reach the post-season then both Johnson and Rizzo will be out of a job.
View all comments (8) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/09/08/strasburg-shut-down-for-season
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Albert Constantine Jr.| 9.8.12 @ 3:27PM
As a Phillies fan, I am nonetheless pleased to see the Nats doing well, having seen their first regular season game in person back in 2005. If they are successful, I hope they learn to act like good winners, and maybe sell out their park sometime without our help.
cris| 9.8.12 @ 6:44PM
This ridiculous micromanaging destroys pitchers. Remember Joba and the 'Joba Rules'? These stupid guidelines destroyed his career. Nolan Ryan if laughing hysterically.
Bob K| 9.8.12 @ 9:24PM
Ultimately this is about money. Pure and simple. As I understand it (correct me if I am wrong) every year for the next 4 years Strasburg and the Nats undergo salary arbitration to determine his salary for that year. He becomes a free agent in 2017.
His agent is Scott Boras. Boras also represents Harper, Werth and Espinosa and a bunch of the Nats minor league prospects.
Now we are able to read between the lines more clearly on what is going on here. Strasburg has a brittle arm and a potentially short career (although other pitchers have survived early arm trouble and went on to have out standing careers. Jim Palmer come to mind). Maximizing his career and his earnings and the agent's fees, in that order, are the prime concerns here.
Bob K| 9.8.12 @ 10:36PM
Did I mention that Agent Boras WANTS him shut down?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....story.html
chuck| 9.9.12 @ 8:40AM
I think it has more to do with the Tommy John surgery of last year. Chris Medlin, pitcher for the Braves, had the same surgery, at the same time as Strasburg. The Braves also limited his amount of work, but in a different way. Medlin started the year in the bullpen, with short and long relief appearances. A couple of months ago he was moved into the rotation, and with the limited early year work, he is strong and pitching like mad. He will be good for the rest of the season.
Different team, different approach, but the same limit on the post-surgery pitching.
RJ| 9.9.12 @ 12:11AM
I heard on a sports channel, during half-time, this afternoon that he was taken out for the season primarily for mental reasons and it was said his head was not in the game the last time he pitched. If there is truth to this report, there is a bigger issue about Strasburg than recovering from an arm injury.
Derek Leaberry| 9.10.12 @ 8:55AM
The Nats are wisely protecting their future by restricting Strasburg this year. The management of the team believes the Nats will be a dynasty. Strasburg is part of a elite core of a pitching staff with more strong arms coming up the chain. As for Strasburg in particular, he had been pitching erratically since the All Star game. It is often the case for pitchers just back from Tommy John surgery to struggle late in the season.
Baseball is filled with overworked pitchers whose careers were ruined by too much duress. One, Dave Boswell, died two months ago, wrecked by one of the great destroyers of pitchers, Billy Martin. Another example of overworked pitchers is Denny McLain. He pitched three straight years of 300+ innings and was never the same. Both McLain and Boswell were finished by age 30.
Occam's Tool| 9.10.12 @ 11:32AM
I think, Aaron, that we should be following Dr. Jobe's recommendations, and not yours. I went to Medical School at UTMB and did my residency at UCLA. Where did you go to school?