The Nats ain't fuckin' around. This offseason they've made some pretty monster moves, but the six year extension that will keep Ryan Zimmerman at the capitol's hot corner through 2019 (2020 with the club option) may be the biggest. I'm usually pretty skeptical about huge long term contracts, but skill like Zimmerman's doesn't come around too often. His career line is .288/.355/.479 career hitter and last years stats pretty much duplicate those numbers, but in the 09 and 10 seasons he batted for .297 and .307 averages respectively.
Last years numbers were down a bit but probably don't represent actual decline, taking in to consideration that he was recovering from an abdominal injury occurring in early May. While the risk is enormous, and inherent in any long term contract, the reward could be phenomenal. Zimmerman has been a National his entire career, and has accrued a more than impressive collection of accolades with them. The core of potential impact players is very young and Zimmerman's influence as a peer and long-time major league third baseman could be enormous.
By the time Zimmerman's contract expires he'll be in his late thirties and may need to shift over to first. Conveniently, the Nationals signed first round draft pick and promising infield prospect Anthony Rendon, a great replacement candidate should he reach his potential. Given where the Nationals are right now, I think this is an awesome move. The Nationals now have someone to build around, and a bullet point in the books that represents upper managements ability to recognize and award talent when they see it. Congratulations to Ryan Zimmerman.
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