Kelly Thesier of MLB.com writes that the Minnesota Twins and outfielder Denard Span have agreed to a five-year, $16.5 million contract. The deal includes a $9 million team option for 2015 with a $500,000 buyout.
“We go through a pretty good checklist of criteria before we enter discussions with a player about a long-term contract, and he has certainly been an integral part of our ballclub for the last two seasons,” general manager Bill Smith said Saturday. “We thought the time was right. It’s a big deal for him. It provides him with a lot of security. It provides us some certainty with our leadoff hitter and center fielder.”
The deal will cover Span the rest of the time he is under club control and it could also buy out the first year of his free agency.
Under the terms of the deal, Span will make $750,000 in 2010, $1 million 2011, $3 million in 2012, $4.75 million in 2013 and $6.5 million in 2014.
The signing was first reported by Joe Christensen of the Star Tribune.
Span, 26, hit .311/.392/.415 with 8 home runs and 68 RBIs. You can see Span’s contract history and statistics here.
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