Why the decision to shut-down Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg is right – MLB Feature
There has been a lot of uproar about the shut-down of the Washington Nationals’ ace Stephen Strasburg. Some believe without him the Nationals are done for the season and maintain while they may enter into the playoffs making something substantial from there
onward will not be possible for them.
An impression is being given as if it has only been Strasburg who has brought the club to the present situation and as soon as he leaves the rotation the whole team will become as mediocre as any lower ranking club on the table.
So far Strasburg has won 15 games for the club which is amazing but when it comes to the notion that the Nationals have been lifted by him alone his numbers defy such a claim. For example even if he has not recorded 15 wins the Nationals will still be the
number one team in the Division which is a reason enough to believe that there is a range of factors that have provided the club their present enviable position as opposed to one man running the show for them.
While there is no denying that the playoffs impose challenges and thus the need for a starter who can withstand pressure, by looking at the rest of the lot on the Nationals’ rotation at least it can be realised that they are not short of options.
The likes of Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmermann and Ross Detwiler are as reliable as anyone present in the current world of baseball. This means the Nationals are heading towards experiencing a spectacular season regardless of the shut-down of Strasburg.
Apart from the pitchers, the offence has been equally responsible for where the Nationals are currently.
Bryce Harper has settled in the Major League environment. Similarly Ryan Zimmerman who struggled earlier has attained the level of form which a team craves from their reliable hitter while entering into the post-season. Along with them, Michael Morse and
Adam LaRoche boast such credentials that even a poor show from the starter can be dwarfed with the flurry of home-runs that they are capable of hitting in one game.
For example the possible replacement of Strasburg is John Lannan who can be helped by the rejuvenated offence of the Nationals. Therefore his entry into the Majors can be eased and facilitated by their quality hitters.
During the games started by him the Nationals can have Morse and LaRoche smacking home-runs, giving him the confidence of winning a couple of games. Based on them, Lannan can immediately feel at ease.
Once Lannan has found his feet and has adjusted to the Major League environment he can turn out to be an instant success for the team. By putting up splendours in the crucial games he can nullify the notion that without Strasburg the Nationals cannot attain
glory.
Who knows Strasburg might be on the decline which was to be seen only when he comes up to throw in the post-season where a little mistake while throwing can be costly to an extent of ending the team’s expedition in the season. The fact Strasburg has a great
record by-and-large will have helped him avoid becoming a scapegoat and thus even in the failure the Nationals will have been searching for the reasons as to who caused their demise.
There is another side to the story which is about the future of the franchise. The Nationals are not in the mood of finishing one season with a better record and collapsing in another. Instead of focusing entirely on the current season, they aim to become
a franchise which can maintain hegemony for years to come. As the Philadelphia Phillies are about to be dethroned from the National League East Division, Washington yearn to replace them and rule just as they did in the last five years.
For this, giving special care to the starter by the management is like planting seeds and waiting for the fruit in the future.
Regardless of whether the Nationals pull off something substantial in the season or not, making the shut-down of Strasburg as the reason of their failure will be an injustice to the performance that the rest of their players have put up.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: