7 possible landing spots for Stephen Strasburg

Days after being named World Series MVP, Stephen Strasburg opted out of his contract with the Washington Nationals and will test free agency for the first time.

By opting out, Strasburg leaves $100 million on the table and will roll the dice on the open market in the hope of securing a more lucrative deal at 31 years old.

Coming off one of his best regular seasons and a spectacular postseason, the right-hander is in a good position to trump his previous arrangement with the Nationals.

His injury history could present a red flag, but Strasburg remains the second-best arm available in free agency, behind Gerrit Cole.

Here are seven possible landing spots for the three-time All-Star:

Houston Astros

The Astros got an up-close-and-personal look at Strasburg in the World Series. The righty won both of his starts against Houston, striking out 14 in 14 1/3 innings. He outdueled future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander in both of his appearances and held an explosive Astros offense in check, allowing four runs across two outings. Astros owner Jim Crane said they "may make a run" at re-signing Cole in free agency, but if they can't make that happen and are willing to fork out the dough, Strasburg would be a tremendous backup plan.

Houston will surely want to exorcise its World Series demons next season. A rotation consisting of the still-recovering Lance McCullers Jr. and unestablished arms in Jose Urquidy and Rogelio Armenteros behind Verlander and Zack Greinke might not be enough.

Los Angeles Angels

The Angels have made one (brutally unsuccessful) playoff appearance since 2010 and continue to waste Mike Trout's best years. With new manager Joe Maddon in place and an owner willing to open his pockets, now is the time for the Halos to make a move. Starting pitching has been their Achilles heel, so adding an arm like Strasburg's is a must if they want to contend. In 2019, Angels starters posted the highest ERA (5.64), lowest WAR (3.3), and second-worst FIP (5.41) in the American League, according to FanGraphs, and as the playoffs proved once again, good starting pitching is imperative for teams with World Series aspirations.

L.A. was rumored to be the favorite to land Cole, but he recently denied he'll sign somewhere just to be close to his Southern California home. That could leave the door open for the San Diego-born Strasburg, and he'd provide the Angels with a lethal one-two punch alongside Shohei Ohtani atop the rotation.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Seven straight division titles and no championship; something isn't working for the Dodgers. Los Angeles is going to need to make an offseason move to convince its fans that the club won't continue to lose when it matters most.

The Dodgers have a couple of openings in the rotation due to the departures of Hyun-Jin Ryu and Rich Hill in free agency, and Strasburg (albeit not a lefty) could replace the pair's production and still keep a spot free for Julio Urias. Strasburg's ability to strike out hitters would fit in perfectly with the Dodgers, whose rotation finished third in the National League in K/9. They'd also avoid squaring off against him on the field; Strasburg owns a 2.54 career ERA against the Dodgers in the regular season and was spectacular against them in the NLDS, striking out 17 in 12 innings.

New York Yankees

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said during his season-ending press conference that he didn't believe pitching cost the Yankees in the postseason. The team then proceeded to fire pitching coach Larry Rothschild.

New York knows it needs starting pitching and that's why it's been linked to Cole. But the competition for him is expected to be fierce, so Strasburg presents a solid Plan B. Acquiring Strasburg instead of Cole would likely cost the Yankees - who are trying to stay under the luxury-tax threshold - less money and still set them up for success. Cole outpitched Strasburg in every facet this past season, but it's been speculated he could command $300 million in free agency; a number that may be too high even for the big-budget Yankees. Strasburg could be a nice compromise.

Philadelphia Phillies

Could the Phillies land a former Nationals star for a second consecutive offseason? It's possible. After inking Bryce Harper to a 13-year, $330-million deal in February, the Phillies missed the postseason and fired manager Gabe Kapler. A lot of what went wrong for the Phillies revolved around their health and starting pitching. Philadelphia starters combined to record a 4.64 ERA and 4.91 FIP last season, and that was with Aaron Nola pitching well. Nick Pivetta, Zach Eflin, and Vince Velasquez were not good, and Jake Arrieta had his worst season in six years.

The deep-pocketed Phillies are set to map out offseason scenarios in which the team does and does not reel in Cole, with Strasburg being an obvious alternative target. One thing is for certain: The Phillies intend to do something big in free agency after general manager Matt Klentak expressed his desire to win earlier this week. "No questions asked: It is time to win right now."

San Diego Padres

Maybe all it'll take to reel in Strasburg is some home cooking. The Padres have been on the hunt for an inning-eating, front-of-the-rotation starter to team with Manny Machado, Eric Hosmer, Fernando Tatis Jr., and an ever-growing crop of talented youngsters, and Strasburg fits the bill perfectly. Working in the Padres' favor is Strasburg's connections to the city. He was born and raised in San Diego, attended West Hills High School in Santee, California, and played collegiate ball at San Diego State University.

Despite their recent expenditures on Hosmer and Machado, the Padres only have $119 million committed to payroll heading into next season, which could allow the possibility of getting a deal done.

Washington Nationals

Just because Strasburg opted out of his deal with the Nationals doesn't mean they're out of the running to re-sign him. It just might cost them more to do so.

Strasburg's roots with the team run deep. It's the only organization he's played for since he was drafted first overall in 2009. The club showed faith by extending him for seven years in 2016 despite his injury concerns, and the team is still set up for future success. Even if Anthony Rendon doesn't return next season, Washington would still possess an imposing roster featuring Juan Soto, Trea Turner, Patrick Corbin, and Max Scherzer. Having Strasburg aboard would preserve one of the league's most dominant rotations and greatly increase the Nationals' chances of being the first to repeat since the Yankees' three-peat between 1998-2000.