Diamondbacks rumors: Arizona discussing extension with Paul Goldschmidt

Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Kevin Towers told reporters, including Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic, that he recently met with the agent of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to discuss a long-term contract extension.

While Towers recently met with Goldschmidt's agent, a source told Piecoro that it would be a "surprise" if a deal was completed anytime soon. Towers doesn't want to discuss contract negotiations with the media, as he would only say that he and Goldschmidt's agent met and talked about "a lot of things."

The D'backs approached Goldschmidt about an extension over the offseason, but the 25-year-old told them he'd prefer to wait at least one more year. Piecoro notes that Goldschmidt's value could go up considerably if he's able to reproduce his 2012 success this season.

Goldschmidt made his major league debut with Arizona in 2011, hitting .250/.333/.474 with nine doubles and eight home runs over 177 plate appearances. Last season, the slugger hit .286/.359/.490 with 43 doubles and 20 home runs over 587 plate appearances.

Goldschmidt isn't arbitration-eligible until after the 2014 season, and he won't reach the free agent market until following the 2017 campaign. He's been hot this spring, hitting .458/.552/.542 over 11 exhibition contests. He and the D'backs certainly hope his early success is a sign of things to come this season.