Friday, January 30, 2009

Pirates set to sign Maholm, Hinske

Top pitcher gets 3-year pact, plus option that keeps rights through 2012
Friday, January 30, 2009


By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates are expected to turn a double play of signings today, with pitcher Paul Maholm on a three-year contract extension and free-agent outfielder Eric Hinske on a one-year contract, each having agreed to terms yesterday.

The bigger deal, in many ways, will be the first.

Maholm and the team early yesterday morning agreed to a term that guarantees his salary through all three of his arbitration-eligible years and comes with a club option for a fourth year, 2012, that would have been his first after becoming eligible for free agency. Salary figures were not available, but the total guaranteed money is estimated to be in the range of $13 million-$14 million.

All that was needed for completion of the contract was for Maholm to pass a physical, something of a formality considering he was examined just two weeks ago at minicamp in Bradenton, Fla. He flew to Pittsburgh yesterday.

Maholm, 26, was the Pirates' first-round draft pick in 2003 and is fresh off his finest season in the majors, going 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 starts. His 3.11 ERA from May 31 until season's end was ninth lowest in the National League.

Maholm's agent, Bo McKinnis, and the team began discussing a multiyear contract in early December, but that appeared in jeopardy later that month when Pirates president Frank Coonelly publicly stated that only catcher Ryan Doumit was likely to get such an extension this offseason. Multiyear talks never stopped, though, largely because Maholm was supportive, and they picked up momentum two weeks ago.

No one from either side would elaborate yesterday.

By reaching agreement, Maholm and the team will avoid their arbitration hearing, which had been set for Feb. 10. The sides last week exchanged salary figures toward that hearing, Maholm filing for $3.8 million, the team $2.65 million.

The Pirates' only remaining player with a hearing is outfielder Nate McLouth, set for Feb. 17. The sides continue to talk toward a one-year deal, their multiyear negotiations having fizzled in December.

Other than Maholm and Doumit, the players who have received multiyear extensions since new management took over in late 2007 are second baseman Freddy Sanchez, starter Ian Snell and closer Matt Capps. In every case but Capps, the Pirates secured the rights to at least one year of the players' free agency through club options.

All that was known about Hinske's contract yesterday was that it covered one guaranteed year. The salary is expected to be in the range of $1.5 million, which would be nearly double the $800,000 he made last season with the Tampa Bay Rays. There also could be $1 million or more in performance-based bonuses, likely for plate appearances.

0 comments:

 
Creative Commons License
Fantasy Sports by G/P Plus is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

tabloidpaige.com
tabloidpaige.blogspot.com
©2008 - 2009 All Rights Reserved