It’s like Christmas Morning in Nats Town. The news everyone has been waiting for came through: Ryan Zimmerman has agreed to a 6 year contract extension with the Nationals, confirmed by CSN Washington’s Mark Zuckerman.
Zimmerman was their first draft pick in D.C. He’s a well-spoken Virginia native, and he has been a great player to build the franchise around. There will be more players like that in the coming years, but no one can take the place of a veteran who has been there from the beginning.
The star’s current contract reaches through the 2013 season, and this $100 million extension picks up after that, locking up Zimmerman through 2019. The team also has a 2020 option for $24 million. The new deal includes a no-trade clause, a key point of disagreement during the negotiations.
Keeping Zimmerman around will be key both on and off the field. Not only is Zimmerman still very talented, but in the coming years the team will be getting younger and younger. Having a steadying, veteran presence will work wonders, especially for what will be a particularly young infield.
This was always going to happen. It would have been shocking if Zimmerman left the Nationals, as he has said so often how much he loves the franchise and wants to see it through. He is the longest tenured Nat, and he has made it clear his intentions are to play his entire career in the district.
With this extension, the Nats now have 10 key players under contract through 2015, locking up guys like Stephen Strasburg, Wilson Ramos, and Danny Espinosa. This control over their young core is great for building team chemistry and keeping the group together.
They got Zim. Now just go get that division title.
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