Washington Nationals and Ryan Zimmerman extension

The Washington Post is reporting that star third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has indeed come to an agreement on a contract extension, but the terms are not yet known. It was once thought that there would be no extension for “Zim”, because the deadline for such an event had already transpired. However, Ryan Zimmerman will likely be with the Washington Nationals for the forseeable future (Read: a long time), and it should be this way.

The deadline was extended, contrary to some reports, because both the Nats and Zim were close enough on Saturday. The 6 WAR superstar is the best third baseman in baseball and is capable of having a wOBA well over .350 and is one of the best defensive players at his position. Ryan Zimmerman is one of baseball’s brightest stars, but expect the 27-year-old face of the franchise to receive a little less than market value.

A home town discount might not be in order, but most players receive less money when they re-sign than they would on the open market due to less competition. Over a five year period, Ryan Zimmerman should be worth 24 WAR and $105 million overall ($21 million per season). I would be shocked if he gets less than $15 million, and he should be making around $18 million per year (at the very least), but we’ll see as we get more details on this development.

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