The Pittsburgh Pirates officially announced their three-year deal with right-handed pitcher Ivan Nova on Tuesday afternoon. The two sides reached an agreement on Thursday (link has details and analysis), settling on a deal that is reportedly worth $26 M. It also includes incentives that could reach $6 M through the life of the contract. The deal was pending a physical, which was delayed due to the holiday weekend.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington issued the following statement via team press release:
“We are pleased to have been able to reach agreement with Ivan Nova to have him remain a Pirate,” said Huntington. “Ivan pitched well with us the final two months of the season and we look forward to him being a key part of our rotation as we work to return to the Postseason.”
A corresponding move to clear space on the 40-man roster will be announced later according to the team. Check back for any updates.
UPDATE 5:45 PM: Jon Heyman has an update on the contract. Nova will receive $7 M in 2017, followed by $8.5 M the last two years. He received a $2 M signing bonus, and as mentioned above, he can make an extra $2 M each season in incentives. Still no word on the other roster move to clear space.
+ postsIvan Nova: 2M signing bonus, 7M in '17, 8.5M in '18, 8.5M in '19. 2M incentives each year.#pirates
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 27, 2016
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
It will be interesting to see if a Searage reclamation project can continue to perform while staying “with” the Bucs. Only J.A. Happ did well after his resurrection while moving on to another team.
No corresponding move yet, interesting
How long does a team get to make a corresponding move? This is interesting since the Nova deal was announced pending a physical about a week ago
I think they have 48 hours to make a corresponding roster move.
I think they have to make it immediately but they can wait as long as they want to announce it and it doesn’t matter that they agreed a week ago they made it official in the eyes of the league today
So basically the move already happened but they haven’t announced it, which seems pretty strange at this point in time.
I think that they may have a trade and are just exchanging physicals
Everytime Nova has come up in the offseason I’ve repeated how I don’t think his walk rate is sustainable and he will regress to a ~3.9 era kind of guy. I still think that, but at the price they paid its a great signing.
Great news that this is now official.
64 2/3 innings, 3 walks, 52 Ks, 53.6% ground ball rate.
Hard to believe he was that good for us and it had to figure in his decision.
Any comment from Nova yet on why he apparently took significantly less money? Or was the expected market just that far off? Great signing for Bucs, however they were able to pull this one off!
He did an interview on MLB.com, go to the Pirates section of the news it was a good listen.
I like the Nova signing a lot…but this organization is headed for a disappointing ’17 if Dragmire isn’t reacquired.
I think he will get dfa again and we will get him and probably pick up Jose Tabata as fourth outfielder too
Joe Orsulak
UL Washington
since we are taking infielders constantly and putting them into the outfield, I think its time to revisit sammy khalifa and al pedrique and throw them out there.
You’re crazy if you think Tabata would be a better pick up than Travis Snider
I think Mike Diaz is available.
Manny Mota?
Lee Lacy
I think a trade is coming and particulars are being worked out. I think it’s Yankees like the rumors say but something for tony Watson to give them a really good back end with a three headed monster like they did last year.
That would be an interesting wrinkle. Yankees get Robertson and Watson and the Pirates get Quintana? Chicago gets a truck load of prospects (again)?
It would be a shame to lose someone with an option(s) remaining. Hopefully there is a trade in the works!
I think Ogando is the one to leave, try to sneak him through
They’re just waiting for Dragmire to be DFA’d again by the Rangers so the can claim him, DFA Ogando, DFA Dragmire, then officially put Nova on the roster.
Now what…get Quintana next.
Cubs are quaking in their boots now! The same team that dropped 10 games to 500 after the deadline is back
well it wasn’t nova’s fault……
Not yet but when we pick up Quintana I think they may wet their pants
Now that would be something to really get excited about!
yeah, for half our future…….
I’m disappointed that Nutting’s cheapness and the Steelers weren’t included in this comment.
Awesome!
So would you rather of had the Bucs not sign Nova???
Wonder who gets dumped; hopefully Wily Garcia, that guy is a train wreck.
They probably have a trade for someone almost worked out. Either they’ll announce the trade or DFA someone if the trade falls through.
Or
I’m wondering if they’re working with the Yankees to send them something to not take Tyler Webb back.
Has anyone looking for value in misfit toys ever had a designated thrower in the out field. In a tie game, in the bottom of the ninth, runner on third, one out, you take out the right fielder, McCutchen, and put in Wily Garcia and let him back up 30 more feet. A fly ball would then have to go 280 feet or more to score a run with Marte in center, Polanco in left and the designated thrower in right field.
Can’t, there isn’t any outfield depth
We have a ton of OF depth that would play in the OF before Garcia – Bell, Harrison (with someone else moving to 2nd), Frazier, Hanson, Harrison, Osuna, and probably even Wood and Moroff.
i’m really tired of hearing about all these guys that technically own an outfielders glove. Literally none of those people except frazier and harrison, have an idea how to play outfield. this whole “anyone can play the outfield” shit really has to stop. Garcia is a better defender than any of those players and has a cannon arm….he just strikes out constantly.