Minnesota Twins Sign Brian Dozier to a $20 million extension

The Minnesota Twins have signed second baseman Brian Dozier to a contract extension. The deal is worth $20 million for four years, the team announced right before they played Toronto on Tuesday.

The new deal will pay Dozier, 27, $2 million for this upcoming season, $3 million in 2016, $6 million in 2017 and $9 million in 2018. There were no option years included in the extension. Before this contract, Dozier was due $590,000 in the majors and $324,000 in the minors for this year.

Last season, Dozier batted .242 with 23 homeruns, 145 hits, 33 doubles, 71 RBI and 112 runs. He also had 89 walks and 21 stolen bases. The only other Twins players who recorded at least 20 homers, 20 steals and 100 runs were Kirby Puckett, who did it in 1986 and Corey Koskie in 2001.

By signing Dozier to a multi-year contact, the Twins are taking one step toward becoming contenders once again.

Bleacher Report wrote:

"Due to his mix of power and speed, Dozier is undoubtedly a great building block for the Twins as they attempt to return to their former status as perennial playoff contenders.

Dozier is in the prime of his career and on the verge of becoming one of the best second basemen in the league. With that in mind, locking him up for an average of $5 million per season has to be considered a major win for Minnesota."

Starting pitcher Phil Hughes said earlier during spring training, "He's [Dozier] probably one if the scrappiest players that I've seen. For a guy who's such a good hitter, he sells out on defense, which you don't see a lot of these days. Probably one of the better two-way players in the game, I think."

Dozier is expected to bat third in the lineup for this season. During last season, he mainly batted leadoff or second.

Without the new contract, Dozier would have been up for arbitration at the end of the 2015 season.