Nationals negotiating for their future

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VIERA, Fla. -- From the moment they selected him fourth overall in the 2005 draft, the Washington Nationals said they envisioned Ryan Zimmerman becoming a franchise stalwart for the next decade.

Less than two years later, are the Nationals ready to make a major financial commitment to ensure that happens?

Zimmerman could find out this morning, when he and his agent are due to meet with Washington general manager Jim Bowden and president Stan Kasten to discuss a possible long-term contract extension.

The meeting between Bowden, Kasten, Zimmerman and agent Brodie Van Wagenen may produce only a one-year, minimal salary deal, the kind most major leaguers with one season of experience typically get. At this stage of his career, the 22-year-old third baseman has to accept whatever terms the team offers. And in this case, that probably means a salary in the range of $500,000 for the 2007 season.

But the Nationals are willing to talk about a long-term contract, one that could cover six or more years and cost the club more than $50 million, but one that could lock up the young star through his arbitration and possibly some of his free-agent years.

And for the right price, Zimmerman (who made the league minimum of $327,000 last season) said he would sign on the dotted line.

"It would be nice to be here for a long time," he said. "I like it. I like the city. It's a good place. It's going in the right direction."

Bowden and Kasten both declined to discuss negotiations with Zimmerman, but Kasten said before yesterday's exhibition game against the Baltimore Orioles that he has no objections to locking up a player after only one major league season. He said he would be far more inclined to sign a second-year position player than a pitcher, but acknowledged it would have to be a unique situation.

Few baseball players would even merit consideration for such a contract at this early stage of their career, but Zimmerman has begun to establish himself as a budding star. He narrowly lost the National League Rookie of the Year race to Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramirez after hitting .287 with 20 homers and 110 RBI last season, putting him in a category with some of the league's best young players.

Just this week, the Philadelphia Phillies held talks with Ryan Howard (who has 1 years of major league service time) about a long-term deal that could have reached nine figures before the club finally renewed the young slugger's contract for $900,000.