With $175 million now under his belt, how will Stephen Strasburg’s contract affect pitchers’ contracts this season and beyond?
Stephen Strasburg was one of the most coveted free agents in the upcoming ‘16 MLB offseason. Keyword being was. Earlier this month, Stephen Strasburg put ink to pen on the richest contract ever signed by a pitcher post Tommy-John surgery. This is not surprising, as the only pitcher to even receive more than $100 million on a contract after the surgery was Strasburg’s former teammate Jordan Zimmermann, who received $110 million this past offseason from the Detroit Tigers. The investment has parlayed nicely for Detroit, as Zimmermann did not allow a run until his fourth start and also owns the sixth-best ERA in the American League.