Chipper Extended Through 2012

THE WREN'S NEST- The sudden departure of John Smoltz this past offseason left many Braves fans feeling slighted by the front office and jilted by a long time legend. In the wake of Smoltz' departure some fans began wondering about the future of the last remaining fixture of the Team of the 90's, Chipper Jones.

Over the weekend Chipper and the Braves hammered out a three year extension worth at least $42 million that will keep him in the only uniform he's ever known through at least 2012. In spite of his obvious injury concerns, he remains one of the most feared hitters in the game and apparently has only gotten better with age. Even with a typical age regression, Chipper's numbers and defense still justify his $13 million annual salary. Though the free agent market this offseason slowed the flow of large, multi-year contracts, $13 million for a franchise player who is still quite capable of posting MVP numbers is a bargain considering the extensions given to guys like Mark Ellis and the $25 million given to the mercurial Manny Ramirez. With this extension, Mets fans can look forward to Chipper giving the new Citi Field a proper introduction to the hell he put Shea through over the years.