Nationals lock up 3B Zimmerman through 2019 (I'm jealous)

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Added 6 years/100 million to the remaining 2 years/26 million on his old deal. He's now set at 8/126 or so.

 

This is amongst my favorite players in baseball. Drafted as a younger than usual college guy (20) and made it to the show that same season. Became a full time starter at 21, won ROTY, earned a reputation as the game's best defensive 3B, and basically has been a stud sense. His 2009 and 2010 suggest an elite player is in there despite merely looking like a well above average player from 21-23. Just a TAD bit early now (2012 will be his age 27 season), but this guy has a chance to become the first Washington National to draw HOF talk. He's a career .288/.355/.479/.834 hitter who's hit .296/.390/.499 over the past three years (from 24-26), and it's better if you take out the injury plagued 2011.

 

I imagine the Cubs being where the Nationals are soon enough, but for the time being I have to say I'm jealous. I think they've set themselves up to be a powerhouse for years to come if things break the right way for them. The pitching staff has THE most exciting arm in the game, and he's backed up by a high K lefty, and a very well rounded power RH (the other, even more underrated, Zimmerman) for the foreseeable future. Hell, in 2012 their 4th starter is another young, proven veteran who throws hard (Edwin Jackson). After that young major league talent they have the game's premiere prospect (Bryce Harper) and last year's top draft prospect (Rendon), and a bunch of upside arms (Purke, Solis, Meyer, whoever else).

 

Congrats to the Nats and to Zimmerman. They're really setting themselves up to set the bar in the NL and possibly the MLB over the next decade. Hopefully it goes better for them than it did the Cubs last decade when they were gifted Pror by the jahs themselves.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Oh yeah and knock a name off of my list of longshot young stars to come to Wrigley by 2015 maybe 2016 or so.

[Post Count Padder]

A lot of money, but (assuming he stays healthy) he'll remain one of the league's best third basemen for a while.

[mookie]

I was dreaming a little dream of signing Zimm the other day. Oh well, good for the Nationals.

[Theo]

Remind me what the Nationals have won?

[Theo]

oh, and Zimmerman won't even sniff the HOF. Let's calm down a bit here.

[TruffleShuffle]

give us anthony rendon then, that will solve their third base logjam.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

Remind me what the Nationals have won?

 

Pretty sure no one lives for the past.

[PriortoTheoIhadWood]

A lot of money, but (assuming he stays healthy) he'll remain one of the league's best third basemen for a while.

 

Like with the Carlos Beltran contract, it's probably a steal. A highly skilled, very athletic, in his prime player who's been decorated since he came into pro ball....Slam dunk contract for them to hand out.

[Tryptamine]

oh, and Zimmerman won't even sniff the HOF. Let's calm down a bit here.

 

The guy is only 27 and already has a career 30.2WAR, he's no where near the stretch you make him out to be. In fact, before his injury filled last year, he posted 7.3 and 7.2 WAR seasons.

[Theo]

Baseball Writers don't vote on WAR, they vote on numbers like HR's and RBIs(not saying I agree with it), but he's 27 with only 128 HR's and would have to go on a tear of multiple 40 HR seasons into his mid 30's to get in the range of 400-500 that he would probably need to get in.

[JimSorgi]

oh, and Zimmerman won't even sniff the HOF. Let's calm down a bit here.

Why does that matter? He's still a great player.

[XZero771679666304]

Hey, in a market where Yadier Molina can get 5/75, 6/100 for Zimmerman is a bargain.

[sneakypower]

Baseball Writers don't vote on WAR, they vote on numbers like HR's and RBIs(not saying I agree with it), but he's 27 with only 128 HR's and would have to go on a tear of multiple 40 HR seasons into his mid 30's to get in the range of 400-500 that he would probably need to get in.

Brooks Robinson's in the HOF with 268 HR, Santo's in with 342

[davearm2]

oh, and Zimmerman won't even sniff the HOF. Let's calm down a bit here.

Oh jesus rant about Gold Gloves and allstar games next please

[Cubswin11]

Baseball Writers don't vote on WAR, they vote on numbers like HR's and RBIs(not saying I agree with it), but he's 27 with only 128 HR's and would have to go on a tear of multiple 40 HR seasons into his mid 30's to get in the range of 400-500 that he would probably need to get in.

20 years +/-, when he would be eligible for the HOF, is far enough away that I would think most writers will take WAR into account when voting for guys. It's already, although slowly, making its way into the mainstream of baseball stats. ESPN even mentions it once in a while, which is saying something.