The Strasburg Shutdown: Enjoy Him For 12 More Months, Nationals Fan

give it away give it away now

So with just two starts left in Stephen Strasburg's year regardless of what happens in their season, let's just note that, for the record, the player who is going to be shut down despite being the best pitcher on a pennant winning club actually has options here.

To wit, if Strasburg really cared about his teammates and their chance to win it all this year, he could just issue the following statement:

"I play baseball because I want to win games and championships. My statistics are good enough to get routine starts. I believe that I give my team a great chance to win every time I go out. Watching, rather than competing, is intolerable.

If the Washington Nationals keep me from pitching in September and October, I will refuse to entertain any offer from the team, and leave when my contract is up in October 2013."

And that, well, would be the end of the innings cap.

So the fact that he hasn't should tell us something.

1) Strasburg is paranoid about his injury history and appreciates the club coddlig him. Hard to imagine given the way he throws, or the results he's gotten this year.

2) Strasburg agrees with the policy regardless of his injury history, because he looks at the long term in a way that, well, no 24-year-old in the history of baseball ever has.

3) Strasburg is afraid of making waves with management, for fear that it will cast him in a bad light for future contract and free agent negotiations.

I think we've got a winner on this last one, don't you?

The man's last contract was signed in August 2009, at the deadline and under duress. for four years. With, um, Scott Boras at the helm. Think the agent might be just a wee bit happy over the club making sure he's in good condition for the next trip to the pay window?

So, Nationals Fan? You people who actually have to leave the stadium early because the team won't pony up for mass transit for night games? You people who had your team take steps to prevent Philly Fan from invading? You people who are having the first good year in your franchise's brief history in the Capital ruined with this nonsense?

Um, you're still the laughingstock of baseball. Even with a great record. And you are still paying full price for a team that will never, it seems, get that Expo smell out.

So why, exactly, are you a fan of this team again?