Rizzo emotional about Strasburg; House moves to third base

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – While preaching a measured, “day-by-day” approach with Stephen Strasburg, Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo turned emotional Friday when talking about the veteran right-hander, whose career appears to be in peril following the latest setback in his attempt to return from thoracic outlet surgery.

“You’re talking about one of the best big-game pitchers that’s ever pitched,” Rizzo said in his first session with reporters this spring, his eyes appearing to well up as he spoke. “The best big-game pitcher the Nationals have ever had, and anywhere in baseball. You talk about an ultra-competitor, wasn’t afraid to take the ball in the toughest and most unique situations and perform admirably. We built this franchise on the back of him. I just feel bad that he can’t relish into the end of his career gracefully. He just feels terrible about it.”

Strasburg’s latest attempt to come back from the July 2021 surgery that derailed his career was sidetracked a couple of weeks ago when he reported the same nerve discomfort in his shoulder and arm he has experienced after trying to pitch. The Nationals shut him down after only two bullpen sessions, and he remains in Washington contemplating his next steps.

Those next steps, according to Rizzo, begin with doctor visits, including second opinions beyond what Strasburg already has been told. No final decisions have been made yet.

“We’re going to take it day by day, literally day by day,” Rizzo said. “We’ll get all the opinions. We’ll sit down with Stras. And we’ll make out a game plan.”

The Nationals understood all winter this might happen. Though Strasburg said his arm felt strong throughout his offseason throwing program, the possibility of a recurrence of pain always loomed once he attempted to start pitching off a mound again.

Sure enough, that’s what happened in a recent pitching session at Nationals Park, leading to the latest shutdown.

“I saw him throw a couple times in D.C. in the cages,” Rizzo said. “It was good to see him throw pain-free. He was obviously nowhere near ready for competition. But throwing pain-free was the first thing. And then when we got the call the nerve was acting up again. It was something that was not unexpected, but the news of that never feels good.”

Strasburg signed a seven-year, $245 million deal after opting out of his previous $175 million contract shortly after winning World Series MVP honors in 2019. He has made only eight major league starts since, undergoing carpal tunnel surgery in 2020 and thoracic outlet surgery in 2021. He made only one start last season before suffering a stress reaction in his ribs, and hasn’t pitched in a competitive game since.

If it’s determined Strasburg can no longer pitch, he and the Nationals might have to work out some kind of financial arrangement that mitigates losses for both sides. If he voluntarily retires, he forfeits the rest of the money he’s owed on his guaranteed contract. If the team releases him or keeps him on the injured list until the contract expires after the 2026 season, he continues to receive every penny.

Still unclear is whether the Nats took out an insurance policy when they signed Strasburg to his latest contract, which would theoretically allow him still to be paid in full without the team being responsible for the entire amount.

* Brady House, the Nationals’ top pick in the 2021 draft, has officially become a full-time third baseman.

House, drafted as a shortstop out of his Georgia high school, had been tabbed for a potential position change from the outset but played his original position during his first two seasons of professional ball.

After the top prospect missed most of 2022 following a lower back injury, though, the Nats made the decision to move him to third base now, believing the 6-foot-4, 215-pound player has a better chance of reaching the big leagues there.

“As early as when we drafted him, we always saw him kind of growing out of shortstop and moving him to third,” Rizzo said. “That was the conversation we had right after the draft. But we always like to give the players an opportunity to play where they feel the most comfortable before we make any changes. We very rarely change hitting styles or pitching styles until we’ve had him for an extended period of time.

“I think with Brady’s body type and his skill-set, he transfers over to third base very comfortably and very smoothly. He was a big shortstop over there, kind of looked like a third baseman playing shortstop. So that was our thought process since we drafted him.”

House is healthy again, according to Rizzo, and has been a full participant in the Nationals’ early minor league camp for the organization’s top prospects.