Baseball Je$u$

Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals agree to a seven year contract worth $175 million:

According to a person familiar with the negotiations, the agreement calls for total payments of $175 million starting in 2017, but it includes $70 million in deferred money. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Nationals did not reveal the financial terms of the deal.

Strasburg gets a $10 million signing bonus payable on July 1, 2019, and salaries of $15 million each in 2017 and 2018, $35 million in 2019, $25 million in 2020, $15 million apiece in 2021 and ’22 and $45 million in 2023.

His deal contains salary deferrals of $30 million in 2019, $10 million in 2020 and $30 million in 2023.

If he stays for the full seven seasons, Strasburg would get $15 million each year from 2017-23, followed by seven $10 million payments each July 1 from 2024-30. The use of a deferral structure is similar to the $210 million, seven-year deal that the Nationals gave another Scott Boras client, right-hander Max Scherzer, before last season.

Strasburg would earn a $1 million performance bonus each year for pitching 180 innings. The new contract has an escape clause: Strasburg can opt out and become a free agent after the 2019 or 2020 seasons.

He gets less deferred money if he opts out.

Strasburg always pitched well, but it seemed that little things would bother him. He would be rolling along, then someone would make an error, and he’d start giving up hits. This season, when I’ve seen him get in trouble, he looks much more confident on the mound. He’s been extremely impressive since returning from his injuries last season.

I also wonder if the team is sending a message to Bryce Harper as well. They are showing him they are willing to keep their stars around for a long time at a high price.

I do hope that if Strasburg does decide to opt out, the Nationals are smart enough to let him go.

from baseballmusings.com http://ift.tt/1WZn1kg