JUPITER, Fla. -- The Marlins on Wednesday reached an agreement with left fielder Christian Yelich on a seven-year contract extension worth $49.570 million, a source has told MLB.com.The Marlins have not commented on any potential agreement with the 23-year-old Yelich, who was the National League Gold Glove Award-winning left fielder in 2014. But the source added a news conference is expected prior to Sunday's Spring Training game against the Twins at Roger Dean Stadium.
One of Miami's biggest offseason priorities was to lock up some of its pre-arbitration players, including Yelich. There are still some final details to be ironed out, but the deal is pretty much completed. 
The 23rd overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Yelich is regarded as a rising young star with a smooth left-handed swing. Last season -- his first full year in the big leagues -- Yelich batted .284 with a .362 on-base percentage.In parts of two big league seasons, Yelich is a career .285 hitter with a .365 on-base and .400 slugging percentage. He belted nine home runs with 54 RBIs and 94 runs scored last season.Yelich was in line to be arbitration-eligible for the first time after the 2016 season, and he could have been free-agent eligible after the '19 season. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native will be under contract through '21 once the deal is complete.With Yelich soon to be secured for seven more years, the Marlins have locked up two-thirds of their young outfield. In November, right fielder Giancarlo Stanton signed the richest contract in North American sports history: 13 years and $325 million.Yelich's contract, according to a source, will exceed the seven-year, $41 million deal Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs signed in 2013. Once Miami agreed to commit more than $40 million to Yelich, negotiations rapidly progressed. The club had been hopeful to signing its left fielder long-term prior to Opening Day.
Joe Frisaro/ MLB.com
The 23rd overall pick in the 2010 First-Year Player Draft, Yelich is regarded as a rising young star with a smooth left-handed swing. Last season -- his first full year in the big leagues -- Yelich batted .284 with a .362 on-base percentage.In parts of two big league seasons, Yelich is a career .285 hitter with a .365 on-base and .400 slugging percentage. He belted nine home runs with 54 RBIs and 94 runs scored last season.Yelich was in line to be arbitration-eligible for the first time after the 2016 season, and he could have been free-agent eligible after the '19 season. The Thousand Oaks, Calif., native will be under contract through '21 once the deal is complete.With Yelich soon to be secured for seven more years, the Marlins have locked up two-thirds of their young outfield. In November, right fielder Giancarlo Stanton signed the richest contract in North American sports history: 13 years and $325 million.Yelich's contract, according to a source, will exceed the seven-year, $41 million deal Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs signed in 2013. Once Miami agreed to commit more than $40 million to Yelich, negotiations rapidly progressed. The club had been hopeful to signing its left fielder long-term prior to Opening Day.
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