MLB.com’s Bill Ladson has the latest on the possibility of a long-term extension for Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. Zimmerman’s agent hasn’t had serious dialogue with the Nats since spring training, but talks are likely to occur after the Winter Meetings.
Zimmerman is arbitration-eligible for the first time, but he said in October that he didn’t expect to go to arbitration. He believes they can reach an agreement on an extension. The Nationals were apparently willing to do something in the range of Troy Tulowitzki’s six-year, $31MM deal, but Zimmerman wanted more.
Tulo will earn $17.5MM over his three arbitration years, $10MM in his first free agent year, and then has a $15MM club option for the second free agent year. Recently-signed Dustin Pedroia got $17MM over his arb years, gave up two free agent years at $10MM per, and added an $11MM club option. There are plenty of models out there; Zimmerman probably does not deserve to be paid as well as Hanley Ramirez or Chase Utley.
