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Giants' Buster Posey gets record deal for catcher valued at $167M

Buster Posey, at the core of a San Francisco Giants franchise that has won two of the past three World Series, agreed to a nine-year, $167 million contract extension on Friday. The news came minutes after the Detroit Tigers announced the signing of Justin Verlander to an extension of $140 million over five years (and $180 million over seven years overall), reaffirming the health of those two organizations and the sport as a whole.

Posey, who turned 26 on Wednesday, previously agreed on an $8 million contract for 2013, so the extension accounts for another $159 million over eight seasons. The contract carries Posey through 2021. A $22 million team option in 2022 could bring the entire value of the contract to $189 million. Though Posey was not due to be a free agent until after the 2016 season, his contract is in line with the largest ever received by a catcher – Minnesota's Joe Mauer signed for $184 million over eight years in 2010. Posey's contract also includes full no-trade protection.

[Related: Justin Verlander gets deal that could hit $202M with Tigers]

The contract is especially significant in that Posey has fewer than three years of service time. The previous record for such a player was Carlos Gonzalez's $80 million over seven years. Posey's contract is the longest ever for a catcher.

Posey was National League Rookie of the Year in 2010, when he helped lead the Giants to their first World Series title since 1954. Injuries sustained in a collision at home plate cost him most of the 2011 season. He returned in 2012, won the batting title, was the NL's MVP, and the Giants again won the World Series.

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