Dodgers

Dodgers Free Agency: Industry Feels Stephen Strasburg Likely to Return to Nationals

The Dodgers are fully engaged in the markets for Gerrit Cole, Stephen Strasburg, and Anthony Rendon this off-season. With the Winter Meetings coming up, it really begins to get down to the nitty gritty. The organization needs to extend offers in the coming days and put the money where their mouth is. However, of those three stars, it appears that Stephen Strasburg might be the unlikeliest to head to the Dodgers this winter.

According to Jon Heyman, the Nationals are operating with a certain level of confidence that they will retain their star right-hander:

Strasburg, when healthy, is one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. He will be worth every penny he receives, but obviously the hope is that the Dodgers are able to secure his services.

The 31-year-old right-hander will most likely be looking at a deal for around $30 million in average annual value with industry expectations being in the neighborhood of five years in length. Strasburg would be an excellent consolation prize for the Dodgers if they happen to miss out on Gerrit Cole or do not see starting pitching that they like in the trade market.

Believe it or not, Strasburg holds a better career DRA than Clayton Kershaw, with Strasburg at 2.49 and Kershaw at 2.59. He has been extraordinary his entire career, but the one primary question remains regarding his durability. He tossed a grand total of 209 innings in 2019, but it represented just the second time in his career that he eclipsed 200 innings and the first since 2014.

The Nationals will be all in on retaining him, but could the Dodgers swoop in and steal the San Diego native away from their grasp?

NEXT: A Winter Meetings Shopping List for Los Angeles

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