A healthy Stephen Strasburg isn't focused on contract year

Stephen Strasburg battled through nagging injuries for much of last season, but emerged from two trips to the disabled list as one of the top pitchers in the majors down the stretch. The Nationals won eight of Strasburg's final 10 starts, while the right-hander went 6-2 with a 1.90 ERA, fanning 92 with just eight walks over 66 1/3 innings.

A sprained left ankle in spring training coupled with a benign growth in his back bothered Strasburg's mechanics throughout the season. Speaking today at Winterfest, Strasburg said he had the fibrolipoma removed from his back shortly after the season during a 15-minute procedure. He indicated that the minor surgery didn't affect any muscles in his back and that there's "almost a zero percent chance" of the growth returning.

"That was some of the symptoms that I was feeling, but it wasn't so much localized in that area," Strasburg said from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. "It was more kind of affecting just the mechanics of how all the muscles were working around it. Everything feels great now. I've been working out for a while now, so I'm just excited to get back to throwing and get ready for spring training."

It seems like just yesterday that Strasburg took the field at Nationals Park with his stunning 14-strikeout major league debut. But the 27-year-old is preparing to enter his seventh season in the bigs and possibly his last with the Nationals. Strasburg is in the final year of his contract with free agency awaiting following the 2016 season. Right-handers Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister didn't exactly have their best years pitching under the same circumstances last season. Strasburg said he's trying to just "focus on the now" without looking too far ahead to pressure of free agency.

"I went into this game, wanted to play the game because I loved to play, because I'm competitive, because I want to win," Strasburg said. "This team has the potential to win and do a lot of good things. I'm just gonna focus on that. You know, winning cures a lot of things. I'm just gonna do everything in power to get better and help this team win games. When the time comes to make decisions, it will happen."

Along with gaining Dusty Baker as his manager, Strasburg will have a new pitching coach in Mike Maddux for the first time in his major league career. Steve McCatty mentored Strasburg as pitching coach from Triple-A through last year before he was dismissed after the season.

"Cat's the only pitching coach I've known professionally and we shared more of a relationship than just being coach and player," Strasburg said. "I wish him the best. I hope he gets a job someplace else because he definitely deserves it."

Earlier, Maddux jokingly referred to Strasburg as a guy "pitching with his ears out there." Strasburg said he had a chance to chat briefly with his new coach for the first time this morning.

"He seems like a really nice guy. He's pretty funny, too," Strasburg said. "It's a new chapter. I'm open to learning from anybody and, obviously, Mike comes with a good track record so I'm excited to pick his brain."