Christian Vazquez, Red Sox Agree to 3-Year Contract Extension

The Boston Red Sox have signed catcher Christian Vazquez to a three-year extension through the player's arbitration years, per ESPN.

The team confirmed the news on Twitter.

Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald provided a full breakdown of the new contract:

The 27-year-old was eligible to begin arbitration after the 2018 season and had three more years before potentially hitting free agency, but the latest deal could provide a fair agreement between the two sides for the next few seasons.

Vazquez has played three separate seasons at the big leagues but got his first real chance to shine in 2017. He took advantage with a .290 batting average in 99 games, which ranked second in the majors at the position behind only Buster Posey among players with at least 300 plate appearances.

He also added five home runs and 18 doubles.

Of course, the catcher's biggest contribution comes on the defensive side. He threw out 42 percent of runners attempting to steal a base last season, keeping his career mark at an incredible 43 percent.

Vazquez will enter 2018 as Boston's starting catcher while splitting time with Sandy Leon, and he is already off to a strong start in spring training. He has hit .323 with two home runs and three doubles in just 11 games, showing he could be ready for a big year.

If he continues to improve, the Red Sox could have gotten a huge discount with the talented young player.