Stephen Strasburg back to Nationals on seven-year, $245 million contract

Stephen Strasburg

When Stephen Strasburg opted out of his contract at the end of the 2019 season, he had four years and $100 million remaining on his deal with the Washington Nationals.

After going through the free agency process, the World Series MVP essentially got a three-year extension worth $145 million. Pretty good if you can get it, huh?

Strasburg, 31, on Monday agreed to terms with the Nationals on a seven-year, $245 million contract that will take him through his age-37 season. The deal was the biggest news from the first day of the Winter Meetings in San Diego.

The right-hander, who was considered the second-best available pitcher on the free agent market, went 18-6 with a 3.32 ERA in 33 starts for the Nationals in 2019. He followed that up by becoming the first pitcher to win five games in the same postseason, going 5-0 with a 1.98 ERA in six October games (5 starts).

Strasburg was the winning pitcher in both Game 2 and Game 6 of the World Series, both on the road against the Houston Astros.

This deal is worth $35 million annually, and you can't help but wonder what this means for the top free agent pitcher on the market, right-hander Gerrit Cole.

Word is the New York Yankees offered this same deal -- seven years, $245 million -- to Cole over the weekend. That looks a little light now, considering that Cole, 29, is two years younger than Strasburg.

The guess here is Cole gets an eight- or nine-year deal from somebody, and it wouldn't be shocking if his contract has a $40 million AAV. I'm thinking this is going to end with him getting an eight-year deal somewhere in the $320 million range.

For now, Strasburg's contract is the largest ever handed out to a pitcher. But he'll probably hold that distinction for only a short time. Cole may sign before the Winter Meetings are over Thursday.

And, no, I still don't believe for one second that the White Sox will be bidding on Cole. Maybe Sox fans will get some coal in their stocking this Christmas, but I'm not expecting any Gerrit Cole in Chicago -- except as a member of a visiting team in 2020.