The Kansas City Royals are reportedly close to locking up third baseman Hunter Dozier to a multi-year contract extension that will buy out his remaining salary-arbitration eligible seasons as well as his first few potential years of free agency.
FanSided national baseball insider Robert Murray reported the sides were closing in on a four-year contract extension with a club option for a fifth year.
This winter marked the first arbitration-eligible offseason for the former first-round draft pick. Dozier, 29, and the Royals agreed to a one-year deal worth a guaranteed $2.72 million for 2021.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the Dozier deal when finalized will be worth $25 million with a fifth-year option for $10 million and it would start this season. Escalators and bonuses in the deal could push its value to as much as $49 million over the five years, according to Passan.
The reported extension would buy out three years of arbitration and one to two years of free agency.
Dozier scuffled a bit in 2020 after contracting COVID-19 right before the start of the truncated regular season. In 44 games last season, Dozier posted a slash line of .228/.344/.392 with six homers, 12 RBIs and 29 runs scored.
He enjoyed a career year in 2019 when he posted a .279/.348/.522 slash line along with 26 homers, 84 RBIs, 10 triples, and 75 runs scored in 139 games.
