Today’s District Daily discusses Stephen Strasburg’s 7-year, $175 million extension, and what it might say about the Washington Nationals’ chances of extending NL MVP Bryce Harper before he hits free agency.
Good afternoon DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
In today’s Daily, the Washington Post’s Barry Svrluga discusses the 7-year, $175 contract extension that Stephen Strasburg signed with the Nationals earlier this week.
In his article, Svrluga discusses how the deal surprised many in D.C. and throughout the industry, and how the shocking deal could influence contract negotiations with another No. 1 overall pick: last year’s NL MVP Bryce Harper.
As Svrluga notes, Strasburg’s deal raises inevitable questions about the Nationals chances of extending Harper, who will hit free agency in 2019. Strasburg and Harper, after all, have a lot in common. Both players were selected at No. 1 overall in their respective drafts, both are represented by mega-agent Scott Boras, and both are among the best players in the game right now.
Of course, as Svrluga writes, a Strasburg extension in no way guarantees that the Nats could extend Harper as well. Strasburg demanded a lucrative contract for pitchers, while Harper will likely demand the most lucrative deal in the history of the game. Harper, who was in attendance at the press conference announcing Strasburg extension yesterday, might want to test the free agent waters to get such a deal.
In any case, Boras rarely allows his players to sign extensions before hitting the open market. But, as we saw with Straburg’s extension, anything is possible.
Here’s what Boras had to say at the press conference, via Svrluga’s article:
"“Every player wants to play on a good team,” Boras said. “And they want to play for an ownership that has the wherewithal to keep a good team together, and certainly this is a good team and I think the Lerners have proven that they have the wherewithal to keep a good team together. So that creates a strong probability of consideration for any great player.”"
Also in today’s Daily, the Associated Press writes about yesterday’s trade that sent Nationals infielder Brendan Ryan to the Angels in exchange for cash considerations. As the article notes,
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Stephen Strasburg just got his new deal. Will Nats pony up for Bryce Harper, too?
(Barry Svrluga, Washington Post)
Ted Lerner, Mike Rizzo and Scott Boras were all in the same room Tuesday afternoon. So why wouldn’t we talk about Bryce Harper ?
There seemed to be a wide world of possibilities for the Washington Nationals as they announced Stephen Strasburg’s contract extension at Nationals Park, a deal potentially worth $175 million over seven years, with performance bonuses on top of that. The temptation is just too great. The dots must be connected, and they are these:
Strasburg is a Scott Boras client.
Strasburg was the first overall pick in the 2009 draft, and he has played only with the Nationals. Read full article here.
Angels get Brendan Ryan from Nats for cash considerations
(Associated Press, via Washington Post)
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Brendan Ryan arrived in the Los Angeles Angels clubhouse on Tuesday afternoon with an ear-to-ear grin.
The veteran infielder is happy to not only be back in the major leagues, but back home in Southern California.
The Washington Nationals traded Ryan to the Angels for cash considerations on Tuesday. Read full article here.