Mets' four-year deal with Lagares is now official

The deal that was reported on Wednesday was announced officially by the Mets today. Juan Lagares and the team have agreed to a four-year extension that keep the center fielder in orange and blue through 2019.

Starting in the 2016 season, Lagares will make $23 million for four years. The Mets have an option that allows them to retain Lagares for the 2020 season at the cost of $9.5 million.

"This is a place I want to be," said Lagares in a statement released by the club, "The Mets signed me when I was 16. I'm really excited for this season and the future."

The contract appears to make sense for both sides. The Mets are locking in a player at around $6 million per year who provided defense over the past two seasons that was worth well more than that. For Lagares, the deal offers the opportunity to earn well over a million dollars for the first time in his career without having to deal with his representation arguing with the Mets about offensive and defensive stats in the arbitration process.

In fact, the agreement makes so much sense that it made Grant Brisbee want to apologize to undervalued glove-first players of years past.

The 2020 offseason would have been Lagares's first as a free agent before he signed the deal. Now the Mets have a chance to keep him off the market for one more year. Considering how good Lagares is at defense, that seems like a good option to have.