Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Diamondbacks are talking to third baseman Mark Reynolds about a three-year extension that would buy out two of his three arbitration years. There are no hard numbers attached to the negotiations, but Piecoro does some back-of-the-envelope calculations which, reasonably in my mind, suggests that a three-year, $15 million deal may be in order.
Reynolds would be wise to get something for himself now. He’s a great player, but he’s old for a guy who still hasn’t reached arbitration -- he turns 27 this season -- so he’s never going to have a chance at a shoot-the-moon free agency. And even if he does make it out to the market in good shape one day, there are still a ton of teams who will be scared off by his strikeouts, thus making for a more limited market than his considerable skills might ordinarily dictate.
So take the money, continue raking, and then angle yourself for one big arbitration year, Mark, because there aren’t many guarantees for a guy over 30 who strikes out 200 times a year.