Maholm, Pirates agree to three-year, $14.5 million contract

[madinmaryland]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/baseball/mlb/01/30/pirates.maholm.ap/index.html

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Left-hander Paul Maholm avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing Friday to a $14.5 million, three-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who also finalized a $1.5 million, one-year deal with free-agent utilityman Eric Hinske.

Maholm's agreement locks him up through his remaining arbitration years and includes a club option for 2012. He was the most effective starter on a 95-loss Pirates team last season, going 9-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 starts.

He receives $3.5 million this season, $4.5 million in 2010 and $5.75 million in 2011. Pittsburgh holds a $9.75 million option for 2012 with a $750,000 buyout, and the option price can escalate to $11.05 million based on his performance.

Pittsburgh had offered Maholm $2.65 million in arbitration and he had countered with $3.8 million. Maholm went through a mandatory physical on Friday.

..snip

I'm already for the 2014 Season!! :woohoo:

[nickgutierrez]

1. These deals are usually a good idea, especially for mid-market teams.

The deals guarantee a paycheck for the player, and cost certainty through the arbitration years for the team. I don't see anything too troubling in the numbers, so he should be fine over the next three years.