Pirates reportedly reach a deal with reliever Jason Grilli – MLB News
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reportedly reached a deal with reliever Jason Grilli. But the Bucs are not expected to make the announcement until this weekend’s PiratesFest. Remaining in the Pirates, so it seems, was the right decision for Grilli.
It was suggested earlier that he had been seeking a three-year deal. Add to it the number of teams who had talked to him – namely the Chicago Cubs, Toronto Blue Jays and San Francisco Giants, other than – of course, the Bucs themselves.
The talks that the reliever had did not eventually bear any fruit. One of the serious participants for the talks were said to be the Cubs.
The little details that have trickled in so far suggest that he has signed for $6.75 million – which indeed is a big sum. A career which spans for almost a decade, the reliever has made double the earning he previously made.
Grilli remained one of the solid relievers this past season for the Pirates. He had 90 strikeouts in a total of 58 2/3 innings, posting 2.91 ERA in the 64 appearances throughout the year.
A veteran, Grilli will be once again key for the Bucs in the upcoming season. He will either go as a setup man or be closer – depending on the need and performance. But that which is important for the Bucs as a whole is that a lot of young pitchers will
have the mentorship of this reliever.
That is what the general manager Neal Huntington also agrees to, maintaining that the reliever will be able to keep monitoring the young pitchers.
The Pirates have had largely patient approach during the offseason so far.
"We're in a different stage as an organization than we were a few years ago, when we were willing to carry a high-ceiling guy for future considerations," Huntington said. "We need someone who can contribute, be a factor. Even a high-ceiling guy could handcuff
us and make us play with a 24-man roster."
After the acquisition of Andrew Oliver from the Detroit Tigers, this is another move that will go a long way to strength the team’s bullpen.
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