Pirates sign Snell to three-year deal

The pitcher seemed
grateful for the opportunity to remain with the
organization.

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates signed right-handed pitcher Ian Snell to a three-year contract with two club option years Sunday, five days after they failed to reach agreement on a one-year deal.

The Pirates unilaterally renewed Snell’s contract on Tuesday, their right under baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, after talks stalled on a multiyear pact. However, the sides continued to negotiate and eventually reached agreement.

“I’m really happy about this because this is where I want to be, with the Pittsburgh Pirates,” Snell said. “This is the organization that gave me a chance to play professional baseball and I want to be here and get this thing back to where it used to be. I want to be here when we start winning again.”

The Pirates chose Snell in the 26th round of the 2000 draft after he graduated from high school in Camden, Del.

Pittsburgh has had 15 straight losing seasons, one short of the major-league record set by the Philadelphia Phillies from 1933-48.

Snell, 26, went 9-12 last season with a 3.76 ERA in 32 starts and is 24-26 in his career that began in 2004.

Snell also led the Pirates with 208 innings pitched last season, which helped convince general manager Neal Huntington that Snell would be worth the risk of a multiyear contract that is guaranteed through 2010 and could extend to 2012 if the Pirates exercise both option years.

“Ian is a great competitor and a very durable pitcher,” Huntington said. “He is in great shape and every single pitch he throws has a purpose behind it. He’s the type of player we want here, the type of player we feel we can win with. It’s a tribute to Ian that he has performed so well that we would want him for at least five more years and hopefully longer than that.”

Terms of the contract were not immediately available.