MLB Winter Meetings: Winners and losers from Stephen Strasburg's record contract with the Nationals

The biggest winner? The guy who got $245 million

It did not take long for the Winter Meetings to give us a significant free-agent signing. On Monday, the Nationals and World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg agreed to a seven-year contract worth $245 million. It is the richest pitching contract in baseball history in terms of total guarantee and average annual value ($35 million).

"Stephen Strasburg is one of the premier pitching talents of this generation," GM Mike Rizzo said in a statement. "His body of work this season and throughout his career proves that and the way he performed this Postseason was nothing short of brilliant. We are looking forward to having Stephen as a part of our team for many years to come."

Strasburg, 31, opted out of the final four years and $100 million on his previous contract following the World Series. As a West Coast guy, there was some thought he'd sign with a California team after cementing his legacy as a No. 1 pick turned World Series hero in Washington. Instead, Strasburg will (presumably) finish his career with the Nationals.

With that in mind, here are three winners and three losers from Strasburg's record contract.

Winners

Strasburg: I mean, duh. The guy who signs a $245 million contract is always a winner in my book. Strasburg effectively leveraged the opt-out clause into three additional years and another $145 million, and he remains with the only franchise he's ever known. Not many players get to spend their entire careers with one team these days. Strasburg is in position to do so and that's pretty cool.

The Nationals: Replacing Strasburg would've been nearly impossible and the Nationals have the pieces to make a run at another World Series title next season. Their chances at a repeat are much better with Strasburg, ditto their chances at another title in 2021 as well. Strasburg is very popular and incredibly productive. Losing him would've been an enormous blow to the Nationals.

Gerrit Cole: Exclusive footage of Gerrit Cole when the Strasburg contract was announced:

In all seriousness, Cole is now poised to become the first $300 million pitcher in history. He's two years younger than Strasburg, he has a cleaner health track record, and he's been better the last two seasons. Also, the Angels are that much more desperate to land an ace, the Yankees slightly less so. Cole was always going to get a record contract. The Strasburg deal raised the bar even higher.

Losers

The Padres: I don't think it was ever likely the Padres would sign Strasburg, but it certainly seemed more possible than reeling in Cole. Strasburg grew up in San Diego, perhaps giving the Padres an advantage, and a $245 million contract is easier to swallow than a deal approaching or exceeding $300 million. Simply put, Strasburg was San Diego's only realistic shot at signing an ace.

Other teams that wanted Strasburg: In addition to the Padres, this includes the Angels, the Yankees, the Dodgers, maybe the Rangers, maybe even the Phillies after signing Zack Wheeler, and others. There were two aces on the market this offseason. Now there's only one and the Cole bidding is about to take off. Lots of teams will be left on the outside looking in this offseason.

The 2026 Nationals: Let's face it, Year 7 of Strasburg's new deal is probably going to be ugly. That's just how it goes with 37-year-old pitchers. Maybe Strasburg will be an outlier and age gracefully, but the odds are against it. As is always the case with these big contracts, the Nationals are trading the ugly years at the end of the contract for the impact years up front.