Now a Nat for life, Strasburg says D.C. has "become home to me"

Stephen Strasburg, like most every baseball-loving kid who grew up in San Diego, fell in love with Tony Gwynn. And not strictly for his performance on the field. Strasburg understood that Gwynn represented the Padres in every possible way. He was San Diego's Own, a Hall of Famer who spent his entire 20-year career with one franchise and remained closely connected with the franchise and the city until his death.

Strasburg would never try to compare himself to his baseball hero, college coach, friend and adviser, but he does now fully appreciate what it means for a ballplayer to become such an integral part of one franchise, to wear only one uniform for an entire career, to call one place home forever.

So as he sat at the same dais at Nationals Park where he has spoken several times before - after he was drafted, after he made his historic major league debut, after he signed his first contract extension - the right-hander couldn't help but acknowledge the surprising (and now fully rewarding) journey he has taken to secure his place as a National for life.

"I think we've come a long way as an organization," Strasburg said today in his first appearance since signing a seven-year, $245 million deal last week. "I think looking back on 2009, it was a little nerve-wracking, to be honest. I'm a San Diego guy, and I didn't really know what the East Coast had to offer. But the Nationals were there from the beginning. I became a father, I became a husband as a National. I've grown with this organization, and it's become home to me."

Strasburg wouldn't necessarily have expected that a decade ago. When the Nationals took him with the No. 1 pick in the draft, he was a shy 20-year-old with a once-in-a-generation arm and a limitless future in a strange place. The Nats were one of the least successful franchises in baseball, and they played 2,500 miles from San Diego. Surely, Strasburg would eventually decide to return to the West Coast once he had the opportunity to become a free agent.

But then a funny thing happened. He enjoyed success in D.C. but also had to deal with adversity, most notably the elbow ligament he tore as a rookie and the decision by the organization to shut him down for precautionary reasons two years later, just as it was about to reach the postseason for the first time.

Difficult as that was to embrace at the time, Strasburg grew to understand that the Nationals did it for his long-term benefit. And so when the opportunity did arise for him to leave as a free agent three years ago, he made the surprising decision to stay, agreeing to a $175 million extension six months before he was eligible to negotiate with other clubs.

Now, after a World Series title that already ensured his legacy in this town forever, Strasburg decided again to stay. Yes, he opted out of the final four years of his previous contract, but he merely used that option to take advantage of his brilliant October and parlay it into a better deal with the only franchise he's ever known (or wanted to know).

"It's really hard to come by in this game," said Strasburg, who will be 38 when this new contract expires. "And when you're given an opportunity to be in one spot and grow as a person and a player, to be a part of an organization like this, you can't really let those opportunities go by."

Not that Strasburg had to sacrifice much to make this happen. He's being paid handsomely, though he did agree to defer $80 million in salary, according to a source familiar with the contract terms.

But Strasburg still chose to prioritize familiarity and stability and the opportunity to stick with a group that just achieved its No. 1 goal and now will try to do it again. That meant a lot to the organization, especially his teammates.

"I definitely get it," said Max Scherzer, who attended today's press conference in support of his fellow ace. "For him to be in free agency, when you win, this is where you want to be. You want to get the team back together and be a part of it. I'm just glad the ownership did that, went out there and got the deal done so he could be a Nat for life."

Strasburg, who was joined today by his wife, Rachel, and their two young daughters, said he tried not to get too caught up with the various possible outcomes during his month as a free agent. He left things up to Scott Boras to negotiate, offering his agent some basic criteria and priorities but otherwise staying out of it as much as he could.

Strasburg and Boras did meet with other clubs, most notably the Yankees, just to hear what the other options sounded like. In the end, it was clear he would be returning to the Nationals.

"This poor guy was locked away in a hotel room for six hours a day like six, seven times," Boras said with a laugh. "I had to get that done, because he was not very happy. He wanted to go work out. But it was a longstanding process and a thorough one, and it really allowed Rachel and Stephen to make a very clear decision."

For Mike Rizzo, who drafted Strasburg a decade ago believing the right-hander was destined for a long and dominant career, it was a no-brainer to keep his World Series rotation intact.

"This isn't the NBA, where you give the ball to Michael Jordan and say: 'Win us a title,'" the general manager said. "This thing, it takes a village. It took Stras, it takes Max, it took a bunch of guys to come together when everybody was shoveling dirt on us this year. They proved that if you believe in yourself, you could do special things. And I think he epitomizes that."

Like everyone else associated with the franchise, Strasburg now must recharge his batteries and find the same drive to win again that he showed this fall. It's no simple task, but it's one he only wanted to try to achieve in Washington, the town he's now proud to call home, for the Nationals, the only franchise he'll ever pitch for.

"They've built one of the best organizations throughout the league, and their commitment to winning is one of the big reasons I wanted to stay on board," he said. "Last year was the highlight of my career. Going out there and starting the way we did and finishing the way we did, that's something I'll remember for the rest of my life. That said, I'm excited to get back and do it again and get that journey started in February."