1:49pm: Assuming Lucroy qualifies for super two status following the 2012 season the deal guarantees him $13MM, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. If he doesn't qualify, he'll earn at least $11MM.
11:39am: The Brewers have signed Jonathan Lucroy to a five-year contract extension with an option for a sixth year, the team announced. The deal is worth more than $11MM, though the exact total depends on whether or not he reaches Super Two status. Milwaukee's backstop is represented by Sports One Athlete Management.
Lucroy is about to start his third season in the Major Leagues. A four-year extension would cover the 25-year-old's final pre-arbitration season and three of his arbitration seasons, assuming the deal starts this year and that Lucroy obtains super two status following the 2012 season. A five-year deal that kicks in immediately would cover his final pre-arbitration season and all four of his arbitration seasons.
Lucroy posted a .265/.313/.391 line in 468 plate appearances last year, preventing 28% of stolen base attempts against him. However, the 2007 third round selection frames and blocks pitches well, according to The Fielding Bible Volume III.
Recent extensions have generally placed the value of a starting catcher's first three arbitration years in the $7-10MM range, as MLBTR's Extension Tracker shows. Lucroy's five-year deal falls right within that range despite his relative inexperience.
Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports first reported that the two sides were near an agreement. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reported the agreement (on Twitter) while Rosenthal added details (all Twitter links).
Mark Polishuk and Mike Axisa contributed to this post.
