Has anyone been wondering why the lowly Washington Nationals would send their can’t miss number-one draft pick pitcher Stephen Strasburg down to the minors this past weekend? Initially it seems like a very dumb move when you consider Strasburg would bring a lot of attention to a team that needs it in the worst way and he would get people to fill the stands every time he pitched. These things are true, but the Nationals have actually put a lot of thought into this move and it makes a lot of sense when you really think about why they sent him down. The Nationals can delay Strasburg’s opportunity for free agency by an entire year if they play their cards right. Strasburg only needs to be in the minors for 20 days or more and it would prevent him from achieving enough service time to qualify for free agency at the end of his sixth season. Most baseball writers believe Strasburg will be up by early June at the latest which would be right about the time the Nationals season will officially be over since they will most assuredly already have 40 losses.
The Strasburg Skinny
March 22, 2010 by