Will Stephen Strasburg Get $50+ Million?

Wednesday May 6, 2009

Will Stephen Strasburg Get $50+ million?

Strasburg is already being hailed as the greatest amateur pitcher of all time.
(I guess they are forgetting a 17 year old who pitched for 17 seasons in the majors a few decades back named "Bullet" Bob Feller. Yes the one in the HOF)

Many are saying Strasburg would be the ace of the Natinals staff today and will move straight into the starting rotation once he is signed.

So the question is, what kind of money will it take to get Stephen Strasburg signed?

Strasburg is "advised" by uber-agent Scott Boras.

Prior to the season we heard talk of a record signing bonus in the $12 to $15 million range for Strasburg.

The previous records for contracts was set by Mark Prior at 5 years and $10.5 million when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2001, Mark Teixeira at 4 years $9.5 million and David Price at 6 years and $11.25 million when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2007.

Prior got a $4 million signing bonus and all $10.5 million was guaranteed.
Teixeira got a $4.5 million signing bonus and all $9.5 million was guaranteed.
Price got a $5.6 million signing bonus and is guaranteed $8.5 million.

The largest signing bonuses to date are Justin Upton's $6.1 million in 2005, Matt Wieters $6 million and Price's $5.6 million in 2007.

The "slot" figures that MLB gives the GM's for a #1 overall draft pick is an overall $10 million contract.

Peter Gammons of ESPN has said that Boras will initially ask for Daisuke Matsuzaka type of money at 6 years and $52 million dollars.

Gammons also said that Boras will probably settle for the money Mark Teixeira earned over his 1st 6 seasons as a professional. That would be $39.5 million.

Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated and noted Boras mouthpiece has also said that Strasburg will ask for upwards of $50 million.

Heyman also quoted an unidentified Natinals staffer as saying, "We'll pay the $10 million, and we'll get him signed."

The disgraced former Natinals General Manager Jim Bowden has tried to say that the Natinals will sign Strasburg for $12 million, but considering he thought a player was 4 years younger than his actual age and tried to say in a recent article that the Natinals had decided to definitely sign Strasburg before the 2008-2009 College baseball season had even started, we will dismiss his claims totally out of hand.

After stupid comments like those it removes all doubt as to why the Natinals are perennial losers.

Keith Law of Stats, Inc. recently said on ESPN that Strasburg will probably sign for between $18 and 20 million for a 4 years.

I am guessing that Boras will advise Strasburg not to sign before the August 15th dealine and that Strasburg will command more than double the "slot" figures over a 4 year deal.

So something in the $20 - $24 million range over 4 years with a signing bonus of $10 million plus.

So what WILL it take to sign Stephen Strasburg?