Fansided

Top 25 MLB free agents for 2019

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 14: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the seventh inning of the game three of the National League Championship Series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 14: Stephen Strasburg #37 of the Washington Nationals pitches in the seventh inning of the game three of the National League Championship Series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on October 14, 2019 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

3. Stephen Strasburg

With the amount of hype that followed him to the big leagues, it was always going to be impossible for Stephen Strasburg to meet expectations. He would have had to win five Cy Youngs by this point of his career. It’s possible the 31-year-old right-hander has actually become underrated 10 years into his MLB career. Pitching in a rotation with Max Scherzer will do that for you.

Strasburg has been remarkably consistent since returning to the Nationals rotation in 2012 after his Tommy John. He is 106-54 with a 3.21 ERA and has struck out 10.6 per-nine. Health has been a concern, as Strasburg has made fewer than 30 starts in five of the last eight seasons. He is coming off his second 200-inning season and has not had a serious arm injury since his elbow surgery. In some ways, all of the innings Strasburg has not logged while dealing with minor injuries to other parts of his body could have actually kept his arm fresher.

Through no fault of his own, Strasburg has been stuck with a “soft” label throughout his career. The Nationals thought they were doing what was best for his career when they held him out of the 2012 postseason. That, combined with the durability issues, has allowed a narrative to form that Strasburg can’t be counted on in big moments, which could not be further from the truth.

With the exception of Madison Bumgarner, there has not been a better postseason pitcher in the league over the last decade than Strasburg. His near-complete game in Game 6 of the World Series was the capper on a playoff career that has seen him go 6-2 with a 1.46 ERA in 55.1 innings with 71 strikeouts and only eight walks. Strasburg can opt out of the final four years of his seven-year, $175-million contract, which should allow him to add an additional two or three years at his current annual salary.

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