Stephen Strasburg avoids arbitration, agrees to one-year deal

By Byron Kerr

Nationals

January 15, 2016, 10:49am

Comments

The Nationals have agreed to terms with right-hander Stephen Strasburg on a one-year deal worth a reported $10.4 million, avoiding arbitration, according to multiple reports.

Strasburg went 11-7 in 2015 with a 3.46 ERA, his best winning percentage since 2012, when he went 15-6. He battled injuries and started 23 games, coming on strong to end the season.

MLBTradeRumors.com had predicted Strasburg would receive $10.5 million through arbitration.

In the second half of the season, Strasburg went 6-2 with a 1.90 ERA, recording 92 strikeouts and allowing only eight walks. It was a tremendous sign that he had recovered his strength from the early issues and the club is hopeful that will translate into a fast start in 2016.

Strasburg fought through neck and back injuries throughout the 2015 and even had a procedure done at the end of the season to remove a benign growth from his back but later denied that the growth had anything to do with his tough opening few months of the season.

Infielder Danny Espinosa and center fielder Ben Revere are the lone remaining Nationals who filed for arbitration but have yet to agree to contract terms for the 2016 campaign.