The Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to terms with Neil Walker and James McDonald, per a team announcement. Walker and McDonald were the final two players eligible for arbitration, and by agreeing to deals they avoid an arbitration hearing.
No word yet on the terms of the deals. I’ll update this post when that is announced.
UPDATE 9:40 PM: Rob Biertempfel has the numbers.
Multiple sources confirm: #Pirates sign Walker for $3.3M, McDonald for $3.025M. All arby guys are signed. Bring on #ST13
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) February 1, 2013
Both of those numbers are exactly at the mid-point of the figures that were exchanged between the club and the players. The 2013 40-man payroll is updated with the new figures.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
Tim: Has anything further been learned regarding the discussions with Walker – did they talk a long term? Did the Pirates submit a long-term offer? Any info available? Is the $3.3 mil just a start to a long term deal?
Can’t wait till this season starts. Rotation will be better at the start of the year than last year. Walker healthy. Cole on the verge. Marte to start the season here instead of AAA. Much deeper in the outfield and 1st base than in years. Alvarez going to bust out big this year. Suddenly if they need room on the 40 man to sign someone not an easy guess as to who they will designate now. Gonna be fun this year