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Pirates Reach Extension With Maholm

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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

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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

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Links for Thursday…

Pirates Interested In Luis Gonzalez

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According to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Pirates are pursuing free-agent outfielder Luis Gonzalez, with their most recent discussion having occurred late last week.

He adds that two other clubs are also pursuing Gonzalez for a fourth outfielder type role.  Kovacevic says the Bucs are eyeing other free agent outfielders as well.  One player not on their radar is Kris Benson.

Maholm Deal Becoming More Realistic

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Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes of Monday indications that a multiyear contract for Pirates starter Paul Maholm "is becoming more realistic by the day."  The Pirates have a February 10th hearing scheduled with Maholm, with the two sides facing a $1.15MM gap over the salary for his first arbitration year.  It’s been said the Bucs would like to sign Maholm for at least four years, which would buy out one year of free agency.  Using Ian Snell’s contract as a model, perhaps Maholm would get $24MM or so for those four years.  Snell’s deal, signed in March of ’08, has the team-friendly element of two club options though.

Kovacevic does the math and finds the Pirates have roughly $4MM to spend to bring in additional players this year, maybe a few million more depending on where Maholm and Nate McLouth’s salaries land.  Two free agent starters known to be on the radar are Braden Looper and Pedro Martinez.

Minor League Transactions

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Always good to check out the recent minor league transactions over at Baseball America.  A few notables: the Dodgers signed knuckleballer Charlie Haeger (with the Charlie Hough seal of approval three years ago), and the Nationals signed reliever Gary Glover.  Another small move: the Pirates claimed pitcher Virgil Vasquez off waivers from the Padres.

Odds and Ends: Yamarin, Eaton, Atkins, Ohman

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Links for Monday…

Pirates Interested In Braden Looper

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Let’s gather up assorted pieces of Pirates information from Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette from the past few days…

  • We already knew about Pedro Martinez; Kovacevic says the Pirates also have an eye on free agent starter Braden Looper.  The Dodgers and D’Backs are other teams in the market for the 34 year-old hurler.  Team president Frank Coonelly says free agents are "still asking for prices based on yesterday’s market."
  • Kovacevic suggests the Pirates may sign another bench player soon, someone other than fan favorite Doug Mientkiewicz.
  • GM Neal Huntington ruled out free agents Rich Aurilia, Joe Crede, and Kevin Millar.  Still, Coonelly expects the Pirates to sign more players, ones that fans "would fall in love with."
  • Huntington says there are no current trade talks for shortstop Jack Wilson.

Pirates Offered Maholm Deal; Talks Progress

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According to Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review the Pirates have made Paul Maholm an offer and continue to negotiate a multi-year contract with him. Maholm said he’s still "exchanging numbers" with the Pirates, but "the long term deal is still on the table."

The Pirates are hoping to work out a four year deal and buy out Maholm’s first year of free agency. Maholm, who’s arbitration eligible for the first time, said the numbers exchanged so far "aren’t far apart."

Odds And Ends: Varitek, Pedro, Sheets

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Links for Saturday morning…

  • Pedro Martinez isn’t worried that he hasn’t signed yet.
  • Jason Varitek says he’s still "exchanging offers" with the Red Sox. Scott Boras and Theo Epstein didn’t comment on the talks, which continue slowly.
  • Buster Olney takes a look at the market for Ben Sheets. He says whoever signs Sheets will get a bargain. Some GMs would be impressed if he gets $20MM over two years.
  • Nate McLouth isn’t optimistic about his chances of signing a multi-year deal with the Pirates.
  • Peter Schmuck thinks the O’s should find a way to sign Brian Roberts to a long term contract.
  • The Blue Jays fired assistant GM Bart Given.
  • Gordon Wittenmyer breaks down the Cubs’ chances of acquiring Jake Peavy now that the team’s about to change hands.
  • Richard Justice writes Randy Wolf should have accepted the Astros’ offer.
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