Padres Rumors: Bringing Stephen Strasburg Home
There are some rumbling coming out of the Nations Capital that the Washington Nationals are considering moving Stephen Strasburg this winter. It really comes at no surprise, as the team invested a ton of money into Max Scherzer this past off-season and he is the teams ace. Strasburg has a golden arm but has failed to put it all together.
The San Diego native would be a nice fit for the Padres, but the teams don’t really match up trade wise. The Nationals already obtained two of the Padres best prospects in a three-way trade with the Tampa Bay Rays last season. Both Trea Turner and Joe Ross made impressive debuts for the Nationals in 2015. The Padres have no other top prospects to deal, and would probably be hesitant to move more prospects at any level to the Nat’s.
Steven Strasburg will be in the last year of arbitration eligibility before being declared a free agent after the 2016 season. He is represented by super agent Scott Boras and will likely command top dollar on the open market. It is not clear if the San Diego Padres can afford Strasburg long-term so acquiring him would probably be more of a rental than anything. Who knows with this ownership group, though.
Strasburg pitched for San Diego State University and was the #1 selection in the 2009 draft. He has a very close following here in San Diego and would be welcomed with open arms to the Friars. Strasburg owns a career record of 54-37 with a 3.09 ERA and a 1.092 WHIP. He has struck out 901 batter in his 776 innings and 132 starts. He has top of the rotation stuff but has failed to stay healthy.
This season Strasburg missed some time with an abdominal injury, but still went 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA and a 1.107 WHIP. He made 23 starts, striking out 155 in 127 innings pitched. The Nationals were a failure this season and the front office is looking to make some moves. Strasburg could be an important trade chip for the Nationals. They have some issues as Jordan Zimmerman, Ian Desmond and Doug Fister are all scheduled for free agency. The Nationals really do need to make some important decisions for their future. Strasburg was once considered the face of the franchise, but things have changed. With a year like the Nationals had, anything is possible in regrouping this team.
Could the Padres package Craig Kimbrel or James Shields for Strasburg? The Nationals would surely have interest in Kimbrel but Shields will probably be a tough sell. Then again, he would make a perfect complement to Scherzer at the top of their rotation. Shields is due a lot of money for the next three years and that too is a big factor in potentially dealing him. Andrew Cashner is another interesting option. He is in the same boat as Strasburg as far as entering his last year before free agency. It would take more than Cashner to wrestle Strasburg away from the Nationals, but that could be a decent starting point for a deal.
A.J. Preller is determined to change the winning culture in San Diego and for the Padres. This franchise is on the verge of something very special and a potential trade like acquiring Stephen Strasburg could be key. He has perennial Cy Young award-winning stuff and being a native San Diegan doesn’t hurt either. So what do you say A.J.? How about you bring Strasburg back home to Southern California where he belongs.
James was born and raised in America’s Finest City. He is a passionate baseball fan with even more passion towards his hometown Padres. Editor-In-Chief of EastVillageTimes.com. Always striving to bring you the highest quality in San Diego Sports News. Original content, with original ideas, that’s our motto. Enjoy.