The Pirates have extended GM Neal Huntington's contract through 2014, according to a team release. The three-year extension also includes a club option for 2015.
Huntington, 42, was hired by Pittsburgh in September 2007, and has added young talent such as Jose Tabata, Pedro Alvarez, Jameson Taillon, and Gerrit Cole to the organization over the last few years. Although the team's streak of losing seasons will reach 19 in 2011, Pittsburgh stayed in contention well into the summer, and will retain a solid core of players going forward.
"While there is still much work to be done," said Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. "Neal and his staff have done an exceptional job of overhauling the scouting and development systems while building a strong foundation by aggressively acquiring talent through all possible avenues. We have begun to see that positive impact on the Major League level this season and expect that improvement to continue as we execute our plan in building a winning organization."
To revisit the signings and trades Huntington has made since he became the Pirates GM, check out MLBTR's Transaction Tracker.
Good move. It would have been cruel not to extend him after the mess he was handed when given the job. He’s made some mistakes and still has A LOT of work to do, but he definitely deserves more time to see this through.
LET’S GO BUCS!
Well deserved move.
This is an excellent move!
The sun does shine on a dogs butt every once in a while is all that this proves.
I had forgotten how young Huntington was…