Carlos Santana: Indians Reportedly Agree to Multiyear Deal with Star Catcher

The Cleveland Indians are not going to let 26-year-old catcher Carlos Santana get away, or even become disgruntled in an arbitration process.

Jordan Bastian of MLB.com reported that the Indians have locked up their young catcher for the foreseeable future:

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On Monday night, MLB.com learned that Cleveland has reached an agreement with Santana on a multiyear contract that will likely cover his arbitration years and possibly his first year of free-agent eligibility. The specific terms of the catcher's new deal were not immediately available.

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Bastian went on to report that an official announcement is expected on Tuesday. 

According to the Associated Press, Santana will make $21 million over five years. The deal will keep him with the Indians through 2016, with a team option for 2017. That would buy out one of his free agent years, if the option gets picked up.

This is just Santana's third year in the league, and he only played in 46 games as a rookie. In 714 major-league at-bats, he is hitting .244 and has bashed 35 home runs. He has on OPS of .828. 

Despite his low batting average, Santana has a tremendous amount of value for multiple reasons. He is a solid defensive catcher that can hit for power, and he has a good eye at the plate. His 97 walks were the third most in the American League last year, and he is a switch-hitter. 

He will also be, barring a trade, a Cleveland Indian during his prime.