strasburg's innings limit

[toonsterwu]

Logan, I think it's going to be next to impossible for them to bring him back if they shut him down. He'd have to work to get his arm back up to par. I just don't think it happens.

 

Now, the question that some in the DC area have asked is basically, should they have slow-played Strasburg? Delayed his start to the year, or gave him a few breaks here and there.

 

The one thing I wonder is ... if Storen isn't at full blast, might they consider shifting Strasburg to the pen to be their closer. If they make the move early enough, and give a little more leeway on the innings limit (say, bumping it up to 170ish), then it's possible.

 

That said, to the questions above - yes, Strasburg being gone hurts their chances, but they are trying to build a long-term championship club on his back, Bryce Harper's back, and the other fine young pieces in the bigs. They still have a good chance this year if Strasburg is out of the rotation. All in all ... if the Cubs were in that situation anytime soon, considering Strasburg's medical history and work last year, I would absolutely hope that the Cubs shut him down.

[imb]

Imagine how strange it would feel to be in the stands for his final start of the year? It'd be like buying a ticket for a game and knowing beforehand your favorite player is going to get hurt

[Guest]

So if the Cubs had the best record in baseball, you'd be cool with shutting our Ace down for some nebulous possible future?

 

yup, and i have no doubt that's what theo would do also.

[rocket]

i'm with derwood in the sense that if the nationals are in the playoffs, i want to see strasburg pitch dammit

[biittner77]

There's also the small point that Strasburg pitching the rest of the season through the playoffs doesn't guarantee they'll win the WS.

 

As far as 160 innings being an "arbitrary number" that's the number they used successfully with Zimmerman. On that point, you could argue just as easily that 160 is too many given the number of innings he threw last year.

 

Here's a better analogy than your silly Bears/ Cutler one:

 

You drop your wedding ring in a blender, do you stop to unplug the blender before reaching your hand in to get it out? you could just reach reach and everything's fine. Or you could lean too hard on the puree button and next thing you know you're Koyie Hill.

[Clem Fandango]

I don't think they'd need Strasburg in the pen. They've already got one of the best ones in baseball.

[erik316wttn]

I'd have used him on 6-7 days rest at several points throughout the season, or just skipped some starts entirely in order to save him for an October run. The Nats were pretty recognized as serious playoff contenders by people this year, so I don't think anyone would have blamed them for thinking long-term. This is going to blow up in their faces if they make an early playoff exit.

[Derwood]

There's also the small point that Strasburg pitching the rest of the season through the playoffs doesn't guarantee they'll win the WS.

 

As far as 160 innings being an "arbitrary number" that's the number they used successfully with Zimmerman. On that point, you could argue just as easily that 160 is too many given the number of innings he threw last year.

 

Here's a better analogy than your silly Bears/ Cutler one:

 

You drop your wedding ring in a blender, do you stop to unplug the blender before reaching your hand in to get it out? you could just reach reach and everything's fine. Or you could lean too hard on the puree button and next thing you know you're Koyie Hill.

 

That's a terrible analogy. Why would pitching Strasburg another 30-40 innings be equal to an nearly 100% chance of getting your fingers chopped off?

[Sammy Sofa]

i'm with derwood in the sense that if the nationals are in the playoffs, i want to see strasburg pitch dammit

 

Everyone wants to see him pitch in the playoffs. Derwood thinks he should pitch the rest of the year, precautions be damned.

[Sammy Sofa]

There's also the small point that Strasburg pitching the rest of the season through the playoffs doesn't guarantee they'll win the WS.

 

As far as 160 innings being an "arbitrary number" that's the number they used successfully with Zimmerman. On that point, you could argue just as easily that 160 is too many given the number of innings he threw last year.

 

Here's a better analogy than your silly Bears/ Cutler one:

 

You drop your wedding ring in a blender, do you stop to unplug the blender before reaching your hand in to get it out? you could just reach reach and everything's fine. Or you could lean too hard on the puree button and next thing you know you're Koyie Hill.

 

That's a terrible analogy. Why would pitching Strasburg another 30-40 innings be equal to an nearly 100% chance of getting your fingers chopped off?

 

And if anyone knows terrible analogies it's this guy.

 

But yeah, that was awful.

[Derwood]

i'm with derwood in the sense that if the nationals are in the playoffs, i want to see strasburg pitch dammit

 

Everyone wants to see him pitch in the playoffs. Derwood thinks he should pitch the rest of the year, precautions be damned.

 

I think the Nats should try to win when they're in the best shape to win, not purposely handicap themselves so maybe just maybe someday they might have another chance.

[Guest]

at this point, i'm not even convinced that adding or removing an elite pitcher to a playoff team significantly affects their chances of winning it all.

[Sammy Sofa]

i'm with derwood in the sense that if the nationals are in the playoffs, i want to see strasburg pitch dammit

 

Everyone wants to see him pitch in the playoffs. Derwood thinks he should pitch the rest of the year, precautions be damned.

 

I think the Nats should try to win when they're in the best shape to win, not purposely handicap themselves so maybe just maybe someday they might have another chance.

 

What does the bold part even mean? How are they definitively in the best shape to win now as opposed to over the next several years?

[Derwood]

The present is tangible. It's not theoretical.

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh, right, I forgot they were a lock to win the WS if they don't shut him down.

[biittner77]

There's also the small point that Strasburg pitching the rest of the season through the playoffs doesn't guarantee they'll win the WS.

 

As far as 160 innings being an "arbitrary number" that's the number they used successfully with Zimmerman. On that point, you could argue just as easily that 160 is too many given the number of innings he threw last year.

 

Here's a better analogy than your silly Bears/ Cutler one:

 

You drop your wedding ring in a blender, do you stop to unplug the blender before reaching your hand in to get it out? you could just reach reach and everything's fine. Or you could lean too hard on the puree button and next thing you know you're Koyie Hill.

 

That's a terrible analogy. Why would pitching Strasburg another 30-40 innings be equal to an nearly 100% chance of getting your fingers chopped off?

 

And if anyone knows terrible analogies it's this guy.

 

But yeah, that was awful.

 

The blender is not turned on, so there's not a 100% chance of getting your fingers chopped off, it's merely a possibility if you're not careful. Or do you mean the Koyie Hill part, which, admittedly, is awful, perhaps even more awful than Koyie Hill's Cubs career?

[Derwood]

Oh, right, I forgot they were a lock to win the WS if they don't shut him down.

 

Who said that?

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh, right, I forgot they were a lock to win the WS if they don't shut him down.

 

Who said that?

 

Nobody; just making fun of how you think the rest of the season and the postseason are "tangible."

[toonsterwu]

I don't think they'd need Strasburg in the pen. They've already got one of the best ones in baseball.

 

Clippard's been excellent, but he's gone through some lumps in the 2nd half. That said, yeah, I doubt it. The thought has crossed my mind a few times, though, particularly if Storen isn't at full blast. Clippard's worked a ton the last three years.

[Derwood]

Oh, right, I forgot they were a lock to win the WS if they don't shut him down.

 

Who said that?

 

Nobody; just making fun of how you think the rest of the season and the postseason are "tangible."

 

"tangible" meaning you know you're in the playoffs this year and you know you're healthy. Neither of those things is guaranteed down the line

[Sammy Sofa]

Oh, right, I forgot they were a lock to win the WS if they don't shut him down.

 

Who said that?

 

Nobody; just making fun of how you think the rest of the season and the postseason are "tangible."

 

"tangible" meaning you know you're in the playoffs this year and you know you're healthy. Neither of those things is guaranteed down the line

 

Of course not. But given how largely young and talented their team is, the money they have, the crappy division they play in and the second WC they'd be stupid to risk Strasburg like that. Plus making the playoffs is by no mean a guarantee to win, so let's stop with this irrelevant "tangible" garbage. The bottom line is that you think the risks of not making the playoffs in the coming years outweigh the risk of taxing Strasburg this season.

[Sammys Boombox]

I'm ok with them shutting him down. I just don't know why they felt the need to tell the whole world before the season started what their plans were. It opened them up for scrutinization all season. Not to mention, for possible leverage reasons you don't want other teams to know your situation when you can avoid it.

[Cubswin11]

Lost in the argument is that a Gonzalez/Zimmerman/Jackson 3-man rotation in the playoffs is actually good/talented enough to carry a team to a WS ring. Granted Strasburg is better than all 3, but just saying. It's not like their playoff hopes live and die by if Strasburg pitches or not

[apete6]

Its going to be sweet when all of this caution by the Nats pays off for the Dodgers or Yankees when he signs with them in a couple of years.

[Sammy Sofa]

Why exactly won't the Nats be able to re-sign him?