Is Steve Strasburg Worth the Money?

Steven Strasburg was the number one selection from the 2009 MLB Draft picked by the Washington Nationals. Strasburg who is 21 years old pitched for San Diego State the same university his parents attended stands to become a millionaire if Washington can sign him to a contract. He's a right hand pitcher who posted a 13-1 record with a 1.32 era this year for San Diego State. His fastball averages around 96-99 miles per hour and a phenom that hasn't been seen in awhile around MLB.

Steve Strasburg is represented by top agent Scott Boras who more than likely will demand one of the highest signings in MLB history. The Washington Nationals have until August 15^th to sign Strasburg or they lose the rights to sign him. If the Nationals can sign him it will be interesting if they send him straight to the majors or assign him to the minor leagues. Many sports analysts feel that Strasburg is major league ready now. However, the course of history has shown that such hyped talent fizzles out fairly quickly because of all the expectations that are put on the rookies.

The Washington Nationals would be smart if they sign him, but I wouldn't give in to the dollar amounts that Scott Boras wants for his client. If they can't sign him they're not out of any money considering Steve Strasburg has never thrown a major league pitch to command such a large salary. As we know most professional teams spend money on hopes and expectations and the majority of the time they lose on their investment.

If the Nationals sign Steve Strasburg I would bring him up through the minor leagues where he can adjust to professional baseball. This would allow him to sharpen his skills since he'd be facing a new breed of players compared to what he faced in college where his fastball dominated opponents and his breaking balls left many batters tugging at their ankles.

All hopes are that Steve Strasburg lives up to the hype and becomes a dominate pitcher in the major leagues. Only time will tell if he's another Todd Van Poppel or Brien Taylor who had all the flames, but fizzled out quickly and never lived up to the hype.

Washington Nationals should be ready to walk away from a huge deal that will be requested by Scott Boras. If they fall for the potential and that Strasburg is worth what they request then they could be kicking themselves later on if he is a total flop. Without every pitching in a major league baseball game the young man shouldn't be paid the big bucks unless the Nationals feel that he'll be their savior on the diamond. Then the business decision is one they'll have to live with.