Brian Dozier reiterated that he expects to become a free agent after not having any talks with the Minnesota Twins on a contract extension this offseason.
"I will be a free agent this fall," Dozier told the Star Tribune in an interview published early Monday morning. "That's the bottom line. You can only say you want to be here so much, and nothing gets done.
"That's just the way it is. I understand everything. At the same time, you're six months away from free agency. That's intriguing."
Dozier, 30, will make $9 million this season in the final year of a four-year contract. He told the Star Tribune that there have "not been any talks [with the Twins] about exploring an extension."
Dozier has discussed his future on multiple occasions this offseason and told Twins Daily last month that he expected to become a free agent. He made it clear, however, in his interview with the Star Tribune that the Twins have not approached him about a new deal.
"We'll see what happens, but at the same time you can only wait so long and then it's all just focusing on the season and getting yourself ready to win," he told the paper. "I'm a firm believer, man, I don't put too much into all that kind of stuff. I go with the flow and let things take care of themselves."
Dozier has emerged as one of baseball's best offensive second basemen, combining to hit 76 home runs with 192 RBIs and an .871 OPS over the last two seasons. He belted 42 homers in 2016 -- an American League record for a second baseman -- and had another outstanding season in 2017, batting .271 with 34 homers and 93 RBIs while helping Minnesota reach the postseason for the first time since 2010.
Despite a slow free-agent market this winter, Dozier is not concerned about hitting the open market. He would join a potentially historic free-agent class that could include Bryce Harper, Clayton Kershaw, Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, Dallas Keuchel, Craig Kimbrel and Andrew Miller.
"I think teams have gotten a lot smarter, and they really break down the numbers," he told the Star Tribune, referring to this offseason's lack of free-agent activity. "The biggest thing in free agency is really making sure agents know their players' value, and that their players understand that. ... I think my better years are ahead of me, because of the way I feel and what I put into my body."