At the end of last season, The Washington Nationals let one of the best pitchers in baseball, Jordan Zimmerman, walk.
He signed with the Detroit Tigers for $110 million, and the concern among Nats fans was palpable.
If their routinely paltry owners weren’t willing to give Zimmerman that kind of money, what did that mean for the team’s future?
Very specifically, what did it mean for the prospects of Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper remaining Nationals for a long, long time? Many expected Strasburg to be gone by this time next year, with his position in the rotation taken by top prospect Lucas Giolito.
Or not. Because the Nats just handed Strasburg a monster deal.
Seven years and $175 million. That’s some ace money.
It averages to $25 million a year, and makes him one of the highest paid pitchers in baseball.
Now, about that Harper dude…
[Via The Washington Post]