The 10 worst contracts for players in the National League East right now

1) Worst Contract in the NL East: Stephen Strasburg

Finally, there’s the Stephen Strasburg contract. Another nearly forgotten bad deal from within the NL East, this one mirrors the Patrick Corbin deal but with a large crack in the center of it.

We all understand the Nationals did at least get a championship out of it with Strasburg in 2019. He took home $38.3 million that year and has been making $35 million each year since. In fact, he’ll get another $35 million for three more years. Let’s not forget the deferred money the Nationals love to give their players.

Post-2019, Strasburg has made only 8 starts for Washington. His most recent was June 9, 2022. He didn’t make it through the fifth in a 7-4 loss against the Marlins. Even Avisail Garcia had a hit against him.

Strasburg had originally signed a 7-year extension worth $175 million in 2016 with opt outs after the 2019 and 2020 campaigns. The Nationals weren’t about to let him leave a year after Bryce Harper departed. They signed him to a new 7-year contract worth $245 million. As part of the contract stipulation, he wanted Nationals Park to stay open every day in the offseason so he could continue his workout. 

The Nationals got a championship prior to this contract and Strasburg became a richer man. Hopefully he’s tipping the person that has the keys to open up Nationals Park each day so he can do his workout well. That’s the person who came away as the biggest loser of all.