The San Diego Padres have signed outfielder Will Venable to a two-year, $8.5 million contract extension that will cover his final two seasons of arbitration eligibility, according to Corey Brock of MLB.com.
Venable is under team control through the 2015 season, but today's deal means that the sides will not have to negotiate a new contract this offseason.
Venable, 30, has posted the best numbers of his career this year, hitting .273 with 20 HR and 49 RBI in 129 games.
The speedster has also stolen fifteen bases while committing only two errors in significant time split between center field and left field for San Diego. In six seasons with the Padres, Venable is a lifetime .257 hitter with 65 HR and 237 RBI, showing that his 2013 numbers have solidified his standing as a consistent contributor at the major league level.
With Venable locked up through 2015, the Padres will now turn to their main offseason priority of dealing with the future of third baseman Chase Headley. The team has been known to have interest in extending the talented infielder, but a weak free agent market at the hot corner may make a trade involving Headley the most likely scenario this winter.
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