Sporting News staff reports
Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn is willing to continue contract discussions during the season, but he doesn’t want the talks to go on all summer.
Dunn, who can be a free agent after the season, tells MLB.com there’s no hard deadline to complete an extension. He earlier said he wanted to get a deal done by opening day.
"There is progress being made, but I don’t want any distractions during the season. When (the trade deadline) comes around, my name gets thrown around. I hate that," the Web site quotes Dunn as saying.
"If we are close to getting something done and it drags on for a couple of weeks into the season, OK. But I don’t want it to drag on until the All-Star break or things like that. We’ll just pick it up again (after the season)."
Washington general manager Mike Rizzo tells the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network that he and Dunn’s agent, Greg Genske, have been talking since the start of spring training. Rizzo also is fine with negotiations extending into the season.
"I hate to put any date restrictions on anything, because I don’t want to rush anything. I don’t want him to feel rushed, and we don’t want to feel rushed," Rizzo told the network’s Web site. "If there’s a deal to be done here, we certainly have both sides that are willing participants."
Dunn is in the final season of a two-year, $20 million contract. He is due to make $12 million this year.
Sporting News staff reports
Nationals first baseman Adam Dunn is willing to continue contract discussions during the season, but he doesn’t want the talks to go on all summer.
Dunn, who can be a free agent after the season, tells MLB.com there’s no hard deadline to complete an extension. He earlier said he wanted to get a deal done by opening day.
"There is progress being made, but I don’t want any distractions during the season. When (the trade deadline) comes around, my name gets thrown around. I hate that," the Web site quotes Dunn as saying.
"If we are close to getting something done and it drags on for a couple of weeks into the season, OK. But I don’t want it to drag on until the All-Star break or things like that. We’ll just pick it up again (after the season)."
Washington general manager Mike Rizzo tells the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network that he and Dunn’s agent, Greg Genske, have been talking since the start of spring training. Rizzo also is fine with negotiations extending into the season.
"I hate to put any date restrictions on anything, because I don’t want to rush anything. I don’t want him to feel rushed, and we don’t want to feel rushed," Rizzo told the network’s Web site. "If there’s a deal to be done here, we certainly have both sides that are willing participants."
Dunn is in the final season of a two-year, $20 million contract. He is due to make $12 million this year.