Major League Baseball, like many sports leagues around the world, has been shut down indefinitely because of the growing threat that is the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Spring Training has been suspended and Opening Day will be Zach Norvell Jersey pushed back at least two weeks, though that remains subject to change.On Friday, : stay at their team's spring training facility, return to their offseason homes, or return to their team's home city. and the MLBPA are still working through the logistics of the shutdown, .For now, there is no roster freeze, and Saturday morning the reigning World Series champion announced they released righty reliever . He came over at the trade deadline last year and had a 5.14 ERA in 21 Kris Dunn Jersey innings with Washington, and allowed four runs in two postseason innings.Releasing Strickland so soon after the COVID-19 shutdown looks callous, and it is, but there is a reason for it. Strickland was on a non-guaranteed contract as an arbitration-eligible player, and players with non-guaranteed contracts are only owed a portion of their salary if they're released before certain dates in spring Max Strus Jersey training.Strickland was slated to earn $1.6 million in 2020 and, given the timing of the release, the Nationals now owe him only a fraction of that. Strickland had re-signed this winter for $1.6 million. Nationals should be on the Garrett Temple Jersey hook for roughly one-quarter of his salary. Mark Zuckerman (@MarkZuckerman) Strickland allowed nine runs in 6 2/3 innings this spring. He throws hard though and has late-inning chops, so he figures to catch on with another team at some point. Teams always need bullpen help. Even non-contenders could pick him up with an eye on flipping him for a prospect at the trade deadline.It's unclear when -- or even if -- MLB and the MLBPA will agree to a roster freeze during the shutdown. I a sume the union will push for one because they don't want their players to have to worry about getting traded or released during a Chicago Bulls Hoodie national emergency. A roster freeze would be too late for Strickland, but it could help others.The Nationals also released veteran righty on Saturday, and rea signed several players to minor league Chicago Bulls Hats camp, Hernandez signed a minor league contract over the winter and had a poor spring (six runs in 2 1/3 innings). No other team has announced roster moves since the shutdown began. Strickland, 31, is most notable for giving up a monster home run to during the 2014 NLDS, then throwing at him in retaliation in 2017.