Cozart, Reds agree to terms on 1-year deal
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.