The offseason is rapidly approaching as the MLB playoffs are more than halfway over. While trade rumors and other speculation won't start getting more attention until November, there are still a few things to keep in mind before 2015 officially comes to an end.
One of those involves the Washington Nationals and starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg.
"A lot of buzz that the re-tooling Nationals could make the 27-year-old available," writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. "The Scott Boras client would enter his final year of arbitration and become a free agent after 2016."
The right-hander dealt with injuries this past season but still finished 11-7 with a 3.46 ERA, 1.11 WHIP and 155 strikeouts in 23 starts (127 1/3 innings). Despite a career 3.09 ERA, Strasburg is no longer a fan favorite in Washington for some bizarre reason. Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post brilliantly documented the right-hander's reputation in Washington earlier this year.
Strasburg was the subject of trade rumors last offseason when the Nationals signed Max Scherzer to a mammoth contract, but Washington decided to keep all of their starters and attempt to make a World Series run. Instead, they endured perhaps the most disappointing campaign of any MLB club.
Now, the Nats will likely lose Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister (among others) once they officially become free agents, which leaves Washington with Scherzer, Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez and possibly Tanner Roark in the starting rotation. But don't forget about young arms such as Joe Ross, A.J. Cole and Lucas Giolito, who all may have a significant role in 2016.
As for Strasburg, he's under contract for one more season and it's unclear if the Nationals are going to re-sign him. Boras will likely be looking to get the 27-year-old a lucrative contract once he hits the open market and that may not be a priority of Washington's for a number of reasons (the fan base's volatile attitude towards him, the fact that he's already over four years removed from Tommy John surgery, etc.).
So who would be interested in Strasburg if the Nationals were to put him on the trading block? Here are a few we figured would make sense.
Chicago Cubs
The Cubs will undoubtedly look to land another top arm on the free agent market, but what if they did that AND added Strasburg to give themselves one of the best rotations in the MLB? Chicago has a stacked farm system, and being that Strasburg is only under contract for one more year and is a Boras client, the demand for his services won't be as high.
Rumors suggested the Cubs were interested in acquiring Jordan Zimmermann from the Nats last offseason, but nothing ever came to fruition. Strasburg is due for a big raise as he enters his final year of arbitration eligibility. It's been said Cubs president Theo Epstein will have financial resources this offseason, and Strasburg is projected to cost $10.5 million next year, so why not make that acquisition and put him behind Jon Lester and Jake Arrieta?
Boston Red Sox
Boston perhaps has the deepest farm system in the MLB and they can afford to part ways with young talent because they have an enormous surplus. Strasburg, although he's only signed on for one more year, would be an immense upgrade for the Red Sox's awful rotation.
New president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said that aspect of the roster will be a top priority in the offseason, but he will also look toward the free agent market to make upgrades. On that note, what if Boston can't find a way to get rid of Pablo Sandoval and/or Hanley Ramirez? Those two contracts plus that of a top-tier starting pitcher would likely make up a majority of the team's payroll.
Either way, even if Dombrowski can shed some payroll to add a big name free agent starter, it still wouldn't be a bad idea to acquire Strasburg and build the team's rotation depth. If Strasburg comes to Boston and doesn't re-sign after 2016, then the Red Sox still have plenty of options in their farm system to join the rotation after that.
Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays also have absurd depth in their farm system, as portrayed when they made a flurry of deals before the trade deadline that landed them David Price, Troy Tulowitzki and others. And guess what? They still have plenty of assets.
It's unknown how the offseason will shake out for Toronto. They could lose Price, Mark Buehrle, Marco Estrada and R.A. Dickey (if they don't pick up his team option), which would leave them with Marcus Stroman as the only returning starter. They're bound to lose at least two of those players (Price to free agency and Buehrle to retirement), so GM Alex Anthopoulos is going to need to find a way to fill those voids.
Strasburg for one year at $10.5 million is a good deal and he'd be backed by the MLB's best offense, which will only help him succeed. The only problem would be re-signing him after 2016, but that isn't an awfully big deal because the Jays' biggest window to win a championship is arguably this year and next year, as Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion will hit free agency after 2016 as well.
Anthopoulos is an aggressive executive, so don't be surprised if Toronto makes another big move on the trade market this offseason.
