Stephen Strasburg signed the largest contract ever for a Major League Baseball pitcher on Monday. Strasburg, a native of San Diego, California, signed a whopping seven-year deal worth $245 million to stay as a member of the Washington Nationals.
According to ESPN, Strasburg’s contract passes the David Price contract of 2015. Four years ago Price became the highest-paid pitcher of all-time when he left the Toronto Blue Jays for the Boston Red Sox and signed a seven-year deal worth $217 million.
Strasburg is now making $35 million per season. That is also more per season than Zack Greinke of the Houston Astros is making per year. Like Price, Greinke signed his massive contract in 2015. Greinke signed a six-year contract worth $206.5 million with the Arizona Diamondbacks. That contract made Greinke earn $34.6666 million per year.
There is no doubt however that Strasburg is worth more than Greinke or Price. In 2019, Strasburg was the World Series Most Valuable Player. He beat the Astros twice in the World Series and only gave up four earned runs in 14 1/3 innings pitched.
In the 2019 regular season, Strasburg had a record of 18 wins and six losses. He led the National League in wins. In a National League-leading 209 innings pitched, Strasburg had an earned run average of 3.32, WHIP of 1.04, 251 strikeouts compared to 56 walks, and gave up 161 hits and 77 earned runs.
However, Strasburg, who is a three-time all-star, may not be the highest-paid pitcher in Major League Baseball history by the end of 2019. It is expected that Gerrit Cole of Newport Beach, California will be the highest-paid pitcher in baseball history very soon. The New York Yankees are the heavy favourite to open up their pocketbook and possibly sign Cole to a contract that might even be near the $40 million range per season.
