http://tinyurl.com/cn9dzy 終於簽下來了，3+1年!!! BRADENTON, Fla. -- Nate McLouth and the Pirates successfully avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a multiyear contract just before his arbitration case was to be heard in Phoenix on Tuesday. Specific terms of the details are not yet known, though the contract is expected to carry McLouth at least through his three arbitration years. This was McLouth's first season of arbitration eligibility. News of the agreement came as a bit of a surprise, as both sides seemed primed for a hearing as late as Monday afternoon. Both McLouth and president Frank Coonelly flew to Phoenix on Monday for the hearing and there had been little indication that the two sides had moved closer to an agreement. McLouth was seeking a salary figure of $3.8 million, while the Pirates countered with a $2.75 million offer. As recently as Friday, McLouth said that contractual discussions between his agent, Mike Nicotera, and the Pirates were only centered on a one-year deal. The Pirates had targeted McLouth for a multiyear deal at the start of the offseason, but those talks fizzled in December and, by accounts from both parties, were dead. With the deal, McLouth becomes the third player who the Pirates have locked down to a multiyear deal this offseason. Both Paul Maholm and Ryan Doumit agreed to deals earlier this winter. And in doing so, the Pirates have bought out the arbitration years for all three of these first-year arbitration-eligible players. The Pirates are scheduled to hold a press conference to officially announce the deal late this afternoon once McLouth returns to Bradenton. General manager Neal Huntington will be made available for comment following Tuesday's first full-squad workout. ========= http://tinyurl.com/6nqvk8 In a sharp reversal, the Pirates and center fielder Nate McLouth this morning agreed to terms on a three-year contract -- plus a club option for a fourth -- that avoided an arbitration hearing that had been scheduled for this afternoon in Phoenix. A source confirmed the agreement overnight, but no financial details are available yet. The term buys up all three of McLouth's arbitration-eligible seasons, plus one out of free agency. More to come. 7:26 a.m.: It had been universally expected -- and declared by both sides -- that only a one-year term had been getting negotiated since early December, when initial talks aimed at a multiyear collapsed. (And badly at that, by all accounts.) Nothing had appeared to change on that front, either, when team president Frank Coonelly flew yesterday to Phoenix. But neither side was talking publicly the past few days, and that might have been the first indication that something was unusual. McLouth's multiyear contract means the Pirates succeeded in all three of their offseason multiyear targets, including pitcher Paul Maholm and catcher Ryan Doumit, moves that solidify what management believes will be the core of the franchise for years to come. In all three cases, at least one year of free agency was bought up by the team. In Doumit's case, it was two years. McLouth, 27, enjoyed a breakout 2008 with a .276 average, 26 home runs, 94 RBIs, a Gold Glove and an All-Star appearance at Yankee Stadium. --

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