Uggla, Braves Still Making Progress on Extension

Ten days ago, Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe mentioned that the Braves and Uggla were near an agreement on a five year $60M contract extension.  As of today, they still haven't finalized the deal.  What's holding it up?  Cafardo has an update on the ongoing discussions.   

By the way, since we first reported that Uggla was closing in on a five-year, $61 million deal, talks have slowed as he sought a few more dollars. But a deal should get done the first week of January.

It's hard to imagine how much more Uggla can squeeze out of the Braves.  Uggla is a power hitting middle infielder.  Those types of players don't exactly grow on trees, so the Braves will likely pay a bit of a premium to retain his services long-term.  That said, Uggla is a below average defender at second base, and doesn't seem like a good bet to remain at the position past 2012 or 2013.  Considering Uggla's age (turning 31 in March), the Braves would be wise to not let the total value of Uggla's contract exceed five years $65M.  Uggla is a very talented player, but I'm highly skeptical of Uggla's ability to produce enough value to justify his salary in the last season or two of his next contract.