Could the New York Yankees’ meeting with reigning World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg be cause for excitement this offseason?
A meeting between free agent pitcher Stephen Strasburg and the New York Yankees “went well,” according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com
Yankees' meeting with Stephen Strasburg said to have gone well, per source. They talked NY market, the team and its philosophy as the Yankees gave the pitcher an extensive view of the organization. Exact dollars weren't discussed, but the pitching market was certainly referenced.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 5, 2019
The Yankees also met with Gerrit Cole on Tuesday, a meeting which “went well” according to Feinsand.
Stephen Strasburg has played for the Washington Nationals his whole career and led the National League with 18 wins in 2019. He posted a 3.32 ERA with 251 strikeouts in an NL-leading 209 innings.
Strasburg continued his excellence into the postseason. His ERA for the playoffs was an impressive 1.98 and the dominant righty was also 2-0 in the World Series. His clutch wins in Games 2 and 6 were enough to garner him World Series MVP honors.
Shortly after, Strasburg opted out of a seven-year, $175 million contract to test the market. In doing so, he left four years and $100 million on the table.
Simply put, Stephen Strasburg would be a boon to the Yankees’ rotation. He provides an established ace arm and would, alongside Luis Severino, give the team an excellent 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation.
However, Strasburg won’t come cheap. Much like Cole, he is expected to command a contract whose value could exceed $300 million. That’s a lot of money to commit to someone who has only thrown more than 200 innings in a season twice in a ten-year career.
Still, Strasburg is a force to be reckoned with when healthy, and the Yankees must prioritize pitching in free agency. It’s really just a matter of how much GM Brian Cashman is willing to spend.
Stay tuned to ESNY for further updates from free agency.
