안전놀이터 Stephen Strasburg, 35, of the Washington Nationals, has announced his retirement due to injury.
“Strasburg, the 2019 World Series Most Valuable Player, plans to retire,” MLB.com reported on Friday. According to the Washington Post, Strasburg will hold a news conference on September 10 at Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals.
The reason for the retirement is frequent injuries. Wrist, shoulder, neck, and thoracic outlet syndrome have limited him to just eight games since 2020.
Strasburg’s contract will remain one of the worst in MLB history.
He signed a seven-year, $245 million ($32.46 billion) deal after Washington’s World Series win in 2019. At the time, it was the highest contract for a pitcher. The Washington Nationals’ franchise star has been a top-tier starting pitcher since 2012, and is credited with leading them to the 2019 World Series title. He was named MVP in Game 2 of the World Series, going 2-0 with a 2.51 ERA in 14 and one-third innings pitched.
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But Strasburg has fallen off since signing his mega-contract. In three seasons, from 2020 to last year, he pitched just 31 and one-third innings in eight games. His ERA over that span was 6.89. This season, he hasn’t pitched at all.
In 2020, the first year of his contract, he pitched only two games due to wrist pain. In 2021, shoulder and neck injuries limited him to five games, followed by surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome and a year of rehabilitation. He returned on June 10 last year against the Miami Marlins, but a nerve problem in the same area ended his season after just one start. It was Strasburg’s last official start.
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In 13 seasons, Strasburg has a 113-62 record with a 3.24 ERA in 247 games. That’s a paltry stat line for a pitcher who had been touted as a future Hall of Famer since his amateur days.
Still, Strasburg is set to collect his remaining salary after retirement. He’ll be paid a total of $150 million over the next three years, some of which will be paid in installments through 2029. It’s likely to go down as one of the worst contracts in MLB history.