Washington Nationals' Stephen Strasburg Finally Allows Run In 4th Triple-A Start...

Here’s how Strasburg’s four-year, $15.1 million contract works:
$7.5 million signing bonus (2.5 million was paid 15 days after approval of the contract,
$2.5 million paid in January and another $2.5 million paid in January 2011)
$400,000 salary in 2009, but that was prorated to approx. $100,000.
$2 million salary in 2010, $2.5 million in 2011 and $3 million in 2012.
Add 1/4 the signing bonus, and in 2012 you get $4.875MM.

Here are the rules of arbitration:
A player with at least two but less than three years of Major League service shall be eligible for salary arbitration if he has accumulated at least 86 days of service during the immediately preceding season and he ranks in the top 17 percent in total service in the class of Players who have at least two but less than three years of Major League service, however accumulated, but with at least 86 days of service accumulated during the immediately preceding season.

The exact amount of service time varies from year-to- year, but has been as low as 128 days and as high as 140 days, although the number is usually between 130-135.

The Savior will be signed for $3MM in 2012, which will be (god willing) his third year in the bigs, right? That means that in 2013 he’ll be paid at least $4.875 million—regardless of whether he is arbitration eligible or notAccording to the collective bargaining agreement, a player under team control cannot receive a pay cut of more than 20 percent from the previous year. Because of this rule, the Nationals would have to pay Strasburg at least $3.9 million in 2013 (that’s 80 percent of $4.875 million) if he fails to attain Super Two status.

So his next start would land on 6/3.

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OK, he was effective, just not Strasburg effective.