What should the Nats do with Strasburg when he hits 165 innings?

[Slateman]

Nationals are 14-6. They have a legit shot at the playoffs as long as they don't suffer any more catostrophic injuries.

Rizzo and Davey Johnson have said, repeatedly, that they would start Strasburg at the beginning of the season and stop him when he hit his innings limit (probably around 165 innings).

However, should the Nationals find themselves in the midst of a playoff race come late August (most likely when Strasburg will hit said innings limit), what should they do?

 

[EmpireWF]

I'd bump the innings number up for 3 more starts if he's healthy at that point and the Nats are in the playoff race.

Even with his arm history, you can't shut down your ace if he's apparently healthy while your chasing a playoff spot.

 

[MVPete]

They have 142 games left, let's wait a little while before we start talking playoffs.

If after the All Star break it's looking real good they might try and skip some starts to use him real late in the year.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

I think he should be skipped whenever they have a day off or whenever the opportunity arises to do so, and they should shave an inning here or there with a quick hook in games with a decent lead. That should squeeze two or three more starts out of him, but they should absolutely adhere to the innings cap.

 

[Slateman]

I think he should be skipped whenever they have a day off or whenever the opportunity arises to do so, and they should shave an inning here or there with a quick hook in games with a decent lead. That should squeeze two or three more starts out of him, but they should absolutely adhere to the innings cap.

1 run is a decent lead, right?

 

[Chrispy]

Stretch him out, ,aube skip a start here and there or like warner said have a quicker leash in games. Coming off Tommy John surgery they don't need to push him and risk even more of his future.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

There is no guarantee that the Nats will be in first. The Orioles looked unstoppable in 2005, spending 62 games in first place and we know how that ended.

Another potential issue- you stop him from pitching for a couple weeks, and then the playoffs start and the Nats are in. What do you do now?

Your choices are to shut him down completely, or let him keep going. Honestly, I would have slotted him as the fifth starter for the first two months of the season and saved the innings that way.

 

[NAHSTE]

I voted Other: Stop harboring delusional notions of the playoffs


:smug:

 

[Senser81]

If Strasburg is nearing his 165 inning limit and the Nationals are still in the playoff race, they should re-hire Jim Riggleman and start losing games on purpose. That way the outcry will be less when Strasburg gets shut down.

 

[Slateman]

If Strasburg is nearing his 165 inning limit and the Nationals are still in the playoff race, they should re-hire Jim Riggleman and start losing games on purpose. That way the outcry will be less when Strasburg gets shut down.

Hey now ... Riggy had them playing .500 ball!!!!

 

[mcstl25]

I'm betting they will find a convenient way to put him on the DL for several weeks around mid season. While they may hold him to the innings limit, he needs to be available in September if they're in a playoff race.

 

[Slateman]

Bump

September 12th has been given as his last start of the season. They did push the innings limit of 160 back a bit

 

[dave]

I'm not as big a baseball nut as some of you guys, so I hardly profess to be an expert ... but why don't the Nationals use a plan for Strasburg that has him playing in the playoffs, not the regular season? Why not just shut him down until the playoffs?

Frankly, if I were a competitor, I would absolutely tell the Nats I'm playing in the fucking playoffs ... but, I am also not represented by Scott Boras. (Frankly, I'd love to be repped by him)

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I'm not as big a baseball nut as some of you guys, so I hardly profess to be an expert ... but why don't the Nationals use a plan for Strasburg that has him playing in the playoffs, not the regular season? Why not just shut him down until the playoffs?

Frankly, if I were a competitor, I would absolutely tell the Nats I'm playing in the fucking playoffs ... but, I am also not represented by Scott Boras. (Frankly, I'd love to be repped by him)

Because you essentially have to stretch his arm out again, like a mini spring training, which would do more harm than good. I expect the Nats didn't expect to be in the playoff picture, because otherwise, they could have started him off as the fifth starter and skipped him earlier in the year (where he still has bullpen sessions but doesn't start.)

 

[killgod]

I voted Other: Stop harboring delusional notions of the playoffs


:smug:

:smug:

 

[Primetime]

I voted Other: Stop harboring delusional notions of the playoffs


:smug:

:shotsfired:

 

[MVPete]

He's been shut down as of today for the rest of the year.

 

[NAHSTE]

:smugruss:

 

[Villain]

Are they going to do this again next year? How does this all work?

 

[Mogriffjr]

lol they said he wasn't into it mentally...the Nats are fucking retarded...