Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Stephen Strasburg’s (Washington Nationals) retirement press conference has been canceled over the payment of his remaining salary.
According to USA Today and the Washington Times on Monday, Strasburg had originally planned to hold a press conference at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to announce his retirement.
The news of Strasburg’s retirement after this season was first reported by local media last month, but ahead of the press conference, the Nats reportedly demanded to renegotiate the payment of Strasburg’s remaining salary ($1.05 million over three years).
“The original agreement was for Strasburg to retire with his contract intact,” USA Today reported, “but the Nats changed their position without explanation.”
Some analysts believe the move is part of the Nats’ austerity measures. The Nats have recently informed more than 10 scouting staff members that they will not be rehired and have yet to finalize a contract extension for general manager Mike Rizzo.
Once dubbed a “monster pitcher,” Strasburg won 18 regular-season games and two World Series (WS) titles in 2019, winning the WS Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. 바카라사이트
The Nats rewarded him with a massive seven-year, $245 million contract, but Strasburg struggled with a series of injuries and won just one game in eight starts and 31⅓ innings in his first four years.
He underwent wrist surgery in 2020, the first year of his contract, and was limited to five games in 2021 with shoulder problems and one game in 2022 with an elbow injury. This year, he didn’t take the mound at all.