Report: Twins, Kepler agree to 5-year, $35M extension
The Minnesota Twins are in agreement with outfielder Max Kepler on a five-year, $35-million contract extension with a sixth-year club option, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The option is worth $10 million and includes a $1-million buyout, per Passan.
Kepler can also earn up to $1 million in award bonuses, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
| Year | Salary |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $6M |
| 2020 | $6.25M |
| 2021 | $6.5M |
| 2022 | $6.75M |
| 2023 | $8.5M |
| 2024 | $10M* |
*indicates club option
(Salary figures courtesy Jon Heyman of MLB Network)
Kepler owns a .233/.313/.417 slash line with 56 home runs and 190 RBIs over four seasons with the Twins. He was worth 2.6 WAR last season, according to FanGraphs, due to his above-average defense. Kepler recorded a plus-10 in defensive runs saved as an outfielder last year.
In 2009, the 26-year-old German inked the largest signing bonus ever given to a European-born player when he was awarded $800,000 at the age of 16.
The Twins also reportedly extended shortstop Jorge Polanco on Thursday.
It's been a busy offseason for Minnesota, as the club has added pitchers Blake Parker and Martin Perez, and sluggers Nelson Cruz, Jonathan Schoop, and C.J. Cron.