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In advance of deadline, Pirates avoid arbitration with most eligible players

By Bill Brink 8 years ago

Update 3:21 p.m.: The Pirates and Melancon did agree to terms, avoiding arbitration. Melancon settled for $9.65 million in his final season before free agency, according to an industry source.

Also, the Pirates and Chris Stewart have in fact agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with a club option for 2018, according to a source with direct knowledge of the contract. Terms are unknown at this time, and the deal is pending a physical.

The Pirates will have no arbitration hearings.

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The deadline to exchange desired salary figures has come and gone, and the Pirates have avoided arbitration with six of their seven eligible players. As of yet, they have not agreed with Mark Melancon.

Francisco Cervelli: $3.5 million
Tony Watson: $3.45 million
Jeff Locke: $3,025,000
Jared Hughes: $2,175,000
Jordy Mercer: $2,075,000
Chris Stewart: Unknown (Has agreed to terms on a two-year extension with a club )

Total: $14,225,000

This brings the estimated opening-day, 40-man payroll to roughly $98.8 million, before taking out $3 million the Dodgers kicked in for Michael Morse. This includes MLB Trade Rumors projections of Mark Melancon’s arbitration salary ($10 million) and the $1.6 million Stewart was projected to make.