On Thursday, Washington Nationals great and 2019 World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg made a shocking announcement, that he would be retiring from baseball.
The veteran right-hander reached the majors in 2010 and immediately became a star.
Injuries kept him on the shelf for the 2011 season, but he bounced back in 2012 and resumed his career as one of baseball’s rising stars.
He even won Games 2 and 6 of the 2019 World Series as the Nationals rallied from a 3-2 deficit on the road to defeat the Houston Astros for their first title.
After that season, he signed a seven-year, $245 million contract.
On Twitter, Bob Nightengale revealed the specifics of Strasburg’s deal and what the Nationals still have to pay the right-hander after his retirement.
Stephen Strasburg will continue be paid $35 million annually through 2026 (with about $11.4M deferred each year).
He then will receive $26.6M in 2027, 2028 and 2029 in his owed deferred payments.
The contract was not insured, leaving the #Nats on the hook for its entirety. https://t.co/TIluHqzmPj— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 24, 2023
Strasburg was given $245 million in total, which amounts to $35 million annually.
The right-hander will continue to receive annual $35 million payments until after the 2026 season.
However, it doesn’t end there.
From 2027-29, Strasburg will receive $26.6 million in deferred payments.
Nightengale notes that this contract was not insured, and that ultimately the Nationals will be on the hook for the remainder of his salary and the entirety of the contract.
In addition to winning a World Series ring and receiving MVP honors for the series, the 35-year-old was a three-time All-Star and even won a Silver Slugger Award.
Strasburg finishes his career with a record of 113-62 and a lifetime ERA of 3.24 over 247 starts.
He appeared in just eight games from 2020-22 after signing the massive contract with the Nationals.
His retirement leaves Kyle Finnegan, Patrick Corbin, Tanner Rainey, Carter Kieboom, and Victor Robles as the last holdovers from the 2019 World Series team.
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