Pirates, McLouth Agree To Extension
10:24am: Troy Renck of the Denver Post has the breakdown:
$2MM in 2009; $4.5MM in 2010; $6.5MM in 2011 with club option 2012 for $10.65MM or $1.25MM buyout. His $1.5MM signing bonus is payable between March 2009 and July 2009. His base salary in 2010 increases by $200K for All Star in 2009; $200K for GoldGlove in 2009; $100K for Silver Slugger in 2009. His base in 2011 increases by $200Kfor All Star in 2010; $200K for Gold Glove in 2010; $100K for Silver Slugger in 2010. His base in 2012 increases by $300K for All Star in 2011; $300K for Gold Glove in 2011; $150K for Silver Slugger in 2011.
9:58am: The AP says McLouth’s deal is worth $15.75MM over three years.
6:49am: According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates have agreed to a three-year contract with Nate McLouth, avoiding arbitration. There is a team option for 2012. No other details are available at this time.
McLouth was eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason. This deal buys out all three arbitration years and gives the Pirates control of McLouth’s first season of free agency.
Cork Gaines writes for RaysIndex.com and can be reached here.
McLouth Feels Agreement Is Possible
Pirates outfielder Nate McLouth, who has an arbitration hearing scheduled for Tuesday, has a feeling that the chances of reaching an agreement have increased since he last spoke to MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch.
The two sides have a $1.05MM gap – McLouth submitted $3.8MM, while the Pirates submitted $2.75MM for his first arb year salary. Langosch notes that the Bucs haven’t had a hearing since Jack Wilson‘s in ’04.
Pirates Invite 17 To Camp
MLB.com’s Jen Langosch has pieced together a list of the Pirates’ non-roster spring training invitees. Check ’em out:
RHP Denny Bautista, RHP Chris Bootcheck, RHP Jason Davis, LHP Daniel Haigwood, RHP Juan Mateo, RHP Daniel McCutchen and RHP Brian Slocum; catchers Eric Kratz and Miguel Perez; infielders Shelby Ford, Garrett Jones, Pedro Lopez, Anderson Machado and Andy Phillips; outfielders Andrew McCutchen, Craig Monroe and Jeff Salazar.
Friday is the official report date for pitchers and catchers.
Latest On Bobby Abreu
4:54pm: SI.com’s Jon Heyman lists five teams considering Abreu: the Angels, Braves, Pirates, Reds, and Mets. The Pirates are a new one.
3:58pm: A source told Crasnick that the Angels have "strong interest" in Abreu. The Braves remain in the mix.
10:33am: Here’s what ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick had to say regarding the market for Bobby Abreu yesterday:
While Seattle and Atlanta are monitoring Abreu’s status and staying in contact with his representatives, the Mets continue to maintain they’re not in the mix.
Meanwhile Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News wrote this morning:
A Mets official did not rule out signing free-agent outfielder Abreu, but indicated that any contract likely would have to be for one year at less than $4MM.
Other teams loosely linked to Abreu in recent days: the White Sox, Angels, and Dodgers. Abreu is in line for a huge pay cut from last year’s $16MM. The remarkably quiet market for Abreu and other corner outfielders this offseason is tied strongly to defense. ESPN’s Peter Gammons talked to a GM who said a few days ago:
I still believe that one of the factors that has hurt some of the good offensive free agents this winter, like Manny Ramirez, Abreu and Adam Dunn, is the concern about how many runs they give back defensively. There is a great deal more appreciation for defense than there was a decade ago.
McLouth, Pirates May Head To Hearing
According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Nate McLouth‘s arbitration hearing is scheduled for February 17th. He says the $1.05MM gap between McLouth and the Pirates on the player’s ’09 salary has "frozen" talks. Biertempfel says the team’s last hearing was in ’04, when Jack Wilson won.
This is McLouth’s first arbitration year; he’s under team control through 2011.
Pirates President Chats With Fans
Pirates president Frank Coonelly hosted a chat with fans over at MLB.com Wednesday afternoon and discussed various hot stove issues. We’ll summarize it here, but it’s also definitely worth checking out.
- Coonelly doesn’t see a scenario in which the Pirates would move Jack Wilson. At least not right now. "I expect Jack to be our Opening Day shortstop this year," Coonelly said.
- The organization has shied away from signing Type A free agents this offseason because the Pirates "value (their) draft choices so highly."
- Coonelly had this to say on the prospect of adding free agent Adam Dunn: "Right now, the salaries that he is expecting do not fit within our budget. If other moves were made and Dunn fit within our budget, he is someone who we would consider."
- There have not been discussions on a long-term contract with Nate McLouth since the two sides exchanged arbitration numbers a few weeks ago. "It looks like those discussions have ended for this year and we will likely have a one-year deal with Nate," said Coonelly.
- And, finally, Coonelly states that his "expectations are high" for this season: "I would never want to make predictions as to the number of games that we will win, but I am confident that we will play better than we did in 2008 and surprise a lot of people with our performance."
Pirates Sign Eric Hinske
8:46pm: Kovacevic says pitcher T.J. Beam was designated for assignment by the Pirates to make room for Hinske. Beam, 28, posted a 4.14 ERA and 4.7 K/9 in 45.6 innings for the Bucs this year.
12:45pm: According to Dejan Kovacevic, the Pirates announced the signing of Eric Hinske today. He’ll earn $1.5MM plus a possible $1MM in incentives.
Hinske was one of the best free agent bargains a year ago, as he hit .247/.333/.465 for the Rays at an $800K salary. He’ll be a useful, versatile player for the Bucs if kept away from lefties.
Pirates Reach Extension With Maholm
FRIDAY: Dejan Kovacevic has the contract details – Maholm gets $14.5MM guaranteed. $13.75MM for his three arb years, plus a $750K buyout for his $9.75MM 2012 club option.
THURSDAY, 9:15am: Maholm gets three years plus a club option for a fourth, says Kovacevic. That option covers Maholm’s first free agent year.
Maholm, 26, posted a 3.71 ERA in 31 starts in 2008.
8:08am: According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Pirates reached an agreement on a multiyear deal with starter Paul Maholm. The deal is expected to cover his three arbitration years. I imagine Maholm will earn something in the $12-13MM range for those three years.
This was Maholm’s first arb year; he submitted $3.8MM while the Pirates countered at $2.65MM ($3.225MM midpoint).
Pirates, Eric Hinske Agree To Terms
4:30pm: Kovacevic says Hinske and the Pirates have agreed to terms one a one-year deal with a base salary around $1.5MM.
THURSDAY, 12:20am: Dejan Kovacevic says Friday is more likely than Thursday for Hinske to sign.
WEDNESDAY, 5:23pm: Jon Heyman agrees. He says the Pirates are in serious discussions with Hinske, working towards a deal worth roughly $1.5MM.
11:22pm: Ken Rosenthal says the Pirates are closing in on a one-year contract with Hinske. An agreement could be reached Wednesday that would pay Hinske $1-2MM plus incentives. Dejan Kovacevic also has the story, noting that the signing would end Doug Mientkiewicz‘s time in Pittsburgh.
7:35pm: Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette confirms that the Pirates have had contract discussions with Hinske and believes that the two sides "could be close to an agreement."
TUESDAY, 5:44pm: Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com has learned from a baseball industry source that the Pirates are targeting free agent outfielder Eric Hinske.
The Pirates could use Hinske as their fourth outfielder and primary pinch-hitting option. According to Langosch’s report, "discussions between the two sides have increased to the point where the Pirates may be bringing Hinske to Pittsburgh before the end of the week."
Odds and Ends: Kotsay, Redding
Links for Thursday…
- RotoAuthority ranks the catchers for fantasy baseball.
- Dave Cameron reminds us that talented minor leaguers often have delayed success in the bigs.
- MLB.com’s Mychael Urban talked to Mark Kotsay, who did not enjoy the free agent experience.
- MetsBlog’s Matthew Cerrone transcribes a Tim Redding MLB Network interview, where it was revealed that the Rockies, Pirates, and Orioles had interest before the pitcher signed with the Mets.