Brian Dozier had a quasi-breakout season last year, hitting .242 with 23 homers, 21 steals, 89 walks, and a .762 OPS in 156 games to rank among MLB’s top all-around second basemen. And now the Twins are working to sign him to a contract extension.
Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that the two sides are “making solid progress” on a deal and “it’s at least close” to being done.
Dozier is making the minimum salary for this season and would then be under team control via arbitration for 2016-2018, so any contract extension buying out at least one season of his free agency would have to be at least five seasons in length.
Because he was a college draft pick who moved relatively slowly through the minors as a mediocre prospect Dozier is just two months shy of his 28th birthday. Minnesota already has him under team control through age 31 and Dozier, while very good, is hardly an elite-level player with a lengthy track record of excellence, so committing guaranteed money to keep him for age 32 and beyond definitely carries some risk.
