Cozart, Reds agree to terms on 1-year deal

By Mark Sheldon

January 16, 2015

CINCINNATI -- Ahead of a deadline for teams and arbitration eligible players to exchange salary figures for potential hearings, the Reds and Zack Cozart agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.35 million contract.

Cozart, who avoids arbitration in his first of three years of eligibility, made $600,000 in 2014.

In 147 games last season, the 29-year-old Cozart struggled offensively as he batted .221/.268/.300 with four home runs, 38 RBIs and seven steals. But he was excellent defensively and was a National League Gold Glove Award finalist.

While he committed 10 errors in 614 chances, Cozart was ranked second with 19 defensive runs saved (DRS) and a 12.1 ultimate zone rating (UZR), according to FanGraphs.

Since his debut in 2011 for the Reds, Cozart has posted a slash line of .243/.281/.365. He hit a career-high 15 home runs in 2012.

The Reds have four other players eligible for arbitration: Todd Frazier, Aroldis Chapman andDevin Mesoraco.

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Mark My Word, and follow him on Twitter @m_sheldon.