The Pioneer Press reports the Minnesota Twins and closing in on a contract extension with second baseman Brian Dozier. If a deal isn’t done already, it’s close, the report says.
“I’d love to be here,” Dozier told the newspaper. “I don’t want to be anywhere else. If the opportunity presents itself, then I’m all for it. We’ll see.”
Dozier had his best season (his third in the big leagues) in 2014, hitting .242 with 23 home runs, 71 RBIs, 112 runs, 33 doubles, 21 stolen bases and 89 walks. With the exception of his batting average, all of those marks were career highs.
But while Dozier’s home run total looks nice, it’s fair to note that he slugged 20 of them before the All-Star break. He showcased enough power during the first half of the season that he was invited to participate in the Home Run Derby during All-Star Weekend at Target Field.
Brian Dozier taking cuts in the cage with Bruno! #TwinsST https://t.co/bA7PKSMTwh
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 2, 2015
Dozier is under the Twins’ control through 2018 and he’s not eligible for arbitration, where he could receive hefty raises, until next offseason.
As for this season, Dozier is confident the Twins can compete in the American League Central.
“This is the most confident I’ve ever been,” Dozier told Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com. “I’m not just saying that because it’s the next year. I’m saying it because I feel like top to bottom, one through nine, we have a very, very good lineup that can score a lot of runs. We’ve got a good mixture of guys getting on base. We’ve got some thump, we’ve got a lot of different things.”
Brian Dozier: "I know we have what it takes in this 25 guys that we head north with to contend once again, I can promise you that.” #MNTwins
— Tyler Mason (@tylermason21) February 28, 2015
