In a statement James Brian Dozier, is an American professional baseball infielder for the Minnesota Twins of Baseball. Who is entering his third season in the Major Leagues, was due to reach salary arbitration for the first time after the 2015 season.
The official said the deal, which runs through 2018, does not include any option years. Dozier would have been eligible for arbitration after this season. The new deal announced Tuesday, before the Twins played Toronto at their spring training home in Fort Myers, Florida.
Now the recent time Dozier is in the prime of his career and on the verge of becoming one of the best second basemen in the league. In 2014, Dozier became the first Twins player since Torii Hunter a decade ago to reach 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in the same season.
Dozier, 27, has emerged as one of Minnesota’s top players over the past two seasons. He finished second in the majors with 112 runs scored last season while also leading the Twins in-home runs (23), stolen bases (21) and hits (145).
His new contract already was under contract for this year at $590,000 in the major leagues and $324,000 in the minors. The new deal calls for $2 million this season, $3 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018.
To the report from the official side, Minnesota drafted Dozier in the eighth round of the 2009 amateur draft. After coming through the Twins’ system as a shortstop, he debuted in 2012 by playing 84 games with Minnesota and batting .234. He batted .244 with a .312 on-base percentage in 2013 and was a .242/.345/.416 hitter in 2014. Dozier’s 23 homers last year led the Twins, while his 71 RBI were second most on the team.
In addition, Dozier was named Media Good Guy Award winner by Twin Cities baseball writers in 2013 and followed that up with the Heart and Hustle Award, as voted by his teammates, in 2014.
