Yesterday, David Wright spoke with reporters about the $100 million extension Ryan Zimmerman agreed to with the Nationals, a deal that some are now calling the baseline for similar caliber third basemen in the game.

Wright said has no intentions of approaching the Mets about an extension and will wait for them to come to him instead.

“I haven’t even discussed that with my agents, and obviously the team hasn’t discussed it with my agents or me,” Wright said. “I think that it might occur in the future. It might not. I don’t know. I’m not really sure the protocol, but I would assume the team pretty much approaches the player.”

But according to Andy Martino of the Daily News, the team wants Wright to be the face of the franchise though neither side are thinking about a contract extension,

“We think of him as a special player, and it would be great if it worked out where he stayed here,” one team insider, told Martino.

One executive familiar with the clubs thinking said it would take “four Zack Wheelers” for the Mets to trade Wright.

Wright will earn $15 million in this final year of his six-year, $55 million contract, but there is a $16 million club option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout which he can void if he is dealt.

One thing a reader noted in the comments was their age. Zimmerman is 27 years old, while Wright is 29 and will be 31 when he becomes a free agent after the 2013 season if the Mets hang onto him.

Original Post 2/26

The Washington Nationals have agreed to a six-year extension with third baseman Ryan Zimmerman. The deal is worth $100M over six years, as reported by Jim Bowden, and includes a team option for a seventh year at $24M.

Zimmerman, who’s current deal was set to expire after next season, agreed to a deal with a team seventh year option that could take it to 2020.

Zimmerman released a statement that read:

“all along, all I’ve wanted is to be able to stay with the Nationals, which I consider my hometown team, and help the franchise become a winner while also being compensated fairly. I’m from Virginia, I was drafted by the Nationals and I’ve seen this organization make great progress since I signed here. I want to see it through to the ultimate goal of winning a World Series.”

You know damn well Sandy Alderson and David Wright were dialed into these very public and sometimes tense negotiations. I wonder what thoughts are going through their minds this morning?