VIERA, Fla. — At the beginning of spring training, Jordan Zimmermann set a deadline. The 28-year-old, who is entering the final year of his contract, said he would not negotiate with the Nationals after Opening Day.
“Once the season starts,” he said in late February, “I don’t really want to talk about it.”
Now, that Opening Day deadline is right around the corner, and Zimmermann is not optimistic. After pitching five innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in a 1-1 tie Friday, he reiterated his stance. He is still open to talking about a contract extension, but only for the next nine days.
“If something gets done before then, which is probably pretty rare right now, then it gets done,” Zimmermann said. “But it’s not looking good.”
Zimmermann allowed just one run on four hits over five innings Friday, finishing with two walks and four strikeouts. He has a 1.37 ERA this spring, which is second to Max Scherzer (1.35) among Washington’s starters.
The stoic right-hander will likely enter the season as Washington’s No. 2 starter, sandwiched between Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg in the rotation. A two-time All-Star, he threw the first no-hitter in team history in September, further endearing himself to a Nationals fanbase that already loved his calm demeanor and attack-first mentality on the mound.
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Zimmermann knows many fans in Washington would like to see him return in 2016.
“What are we gonna do?” he said.
Blustery winds Friday proved to be a challenge for Zimmermann, who said the weather made it difficult to control his offspeed pitches. There was a crosswind at Space Coast Stadium moving from right to left, preventing Zimmermann’s breaking pitches from breaking. It’s a problem he’s faced before, but not frequently.
“It’s more like spring training, and obviously the minor leagues,” Zimmermann said. “It’s definitely tough. You have to adjust a little bit.”
Manager Matt Williams likened the bullpen in right field to a wind tunnel.
“It’s odd. But he was able to control what he could control,” Williams said. “His slider wasn’t as good because of the crosswind. But he threw more curveballs today, allowed that one to work a little better.”
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Though the wind was challenging at times, Zimmermann didn’t blame it for his two walks. He attributed the walks to lapses in fastball command. With on spring start remaining, he said he feels strong and ready for the regular season — whether he enters it with a new contract or not.
“Just building up the pitches and getting stronger every time out,” Zimmermann said. “The first couple starts I was working on some stuff and just working on some pitches, but now I’m setting guys up and attacking and going after them like I would during the season.”
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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