Pirates to sign Doumit Monday

The Pirates and catcher Ryan Doumit have reached an agreement on a three-year deal with an option for two more years.

Doumit is expected to sign the deal Monday in Pittsburgh after taking a physical.

The deal will take Doumit, 27, through his three years of arbitration and possibly two years into free agency.

ESPN.com is reporting that could could range between $20-30 million though that has been unconfirmed.

Doumit hit .318 with 15 home runs and 69 RBI last season.

Pirates name new play-by-play man

The Pirates hired Tim Neverett as their new play-by-play announcer Thursday.

The 42-year-old Neverett worked for FOX Sports Net Rocky Mountain, serving as a pre- and postgame analyst and part-time play-by-play announcer for Rockies games. Neverett also served as an announcer for a number of other sports including college football, basketball and arena football.

"We conducted an exhaustive search that included more than 200 qualified candidates, many of whom are major league quality broadcasters," Pirates president Frank Coonelly said. "Tim's ability and experience, combined with his work ethic, passion for baseball and desire to make a positive impact in the community, made him the ideal addition to our broadcast team."

He also works as a college football and college basketball play-by-play announcer for Versus and The Mountain West Conference Sports Network.

He has worked the past four Olympic Games, has a talk show on ESPN Radio 560 and has been a talk show host on the Sporting News Radio Network.

Neverett, 42, began his baseball broadcasting career in 1985 with Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate in the Eastern League. He was 19 when he had the opportunity to fill in calling radio play-by-play of Nashua Pirates games.

Neverett and his wife, Barbara, have three sons ages 14, 12 and 9. He is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston where he lettered in baseball for four seasons.

Notes: Michaels gone, Wigginton on radar

One of the Pirates free agents has found work elsewhere for next season.

Jason Michaels – he is baseball – signed a one-year contract for $750,000 according to MLB.com.

Michaels batted .228 with eight home runs and 44 RBI in 228 at bats with Pittsburgh after being acquired from Cleveland May 8 for a player to be named later.

Also, multiple reports indicate the Pirates are one of four teams interested in signing Ty Wigginton, who was not offered arbitration by the Astros.

Wigginton, who played in Pittsburgh in 2004 and 2005 and was acquired from the Mets in the Kris Benson deal, had 12 home runs and 49 RBI in 115 games over his time in Pittsburgh.

Last season, Wigginton hit .285 with 23 home runs and 58 RBI for the Astros last season.

Bye, Bye Bautista

The Pirates non-tendered relief pitcher Denny Bautista Friday, not offering salary arbitration. That means that Bautista will become a free agent.

Though Bautista, a midseason pickup who general manager Neal Huntington viewed a slow-rish, potentially high reward, had a good fastball, his control was a problem with 28 walks to counteract 34 strikeouts.

Seven other eligible players – pitchers Paul Maholm, Zach Duke, John Grabow and Tyler Yates - first baseman Adam LaRoche, outfielder Nate McLouth and catcher Ryan Doumit – have received arbitration offers.

The Pirates have reportedly began long-term contract talks with Maholm, McLouth and Doumit this past week.

Also, I think the signing of Ramon Vazquez is another smart, safe, though not terribly exciting move by Huntington, as has been his M.O. since taking over as GM more than a year ago.

I do like that Vazquez is actually coming off a career season in which he batted .290 in 300 atr bats with six home runs and 40 RBI.

The signing also covers the Pirates in two ways. If the Pirates do eventually trade shortstop Jack Wilson, they have someone who can step in with experience and someone not named Brian Bixler. If they keep Wilson, which remains a possibility, they have a Chris Gomez type whose a little younger with a little more pop in his bat.

I like the second scenario better than the first. I'm not sure I can by Vazquez playing 140 games and getting 500-plus at bats. I do, however, like a platoon of he and Wilson for a year with the hopes the Pirates can develop another shortstop in the minors.

Pirates trade Paulino

The Pirates traded former starting catcher Ronny Paulino to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor-league catcher Jason Jamarillo.

Paulino hit .212 with two home runs and 18 RBIs in 40 games last season. He lost his starting job by the end of spring training to Ryan Doumit and never got it back. He was banished to the minors.

Jaramillo, a former top prospect, hit .266 with eight home runs and 39 RBI for Class AAA Lehigh Valley.

Day Three: CC to NY

Day Three of the Winter Meetings started with a bang as the Yankees will sign pitcher CC Sabathia to the richest deal for a pitcher in baseball history.

According to ESPN's Buster Olney, Sabathia will sign for seven years, $160 million. That eclipses the six years, $137 million Johan Santana signed for last year with the New York Me ts.

Isn't this supposed to be a bad economy?

Funny thing is, both the Mets and Yankees are asking for public help to finance their new stadiums.

Day Two: Yankees ready to buy

Here are some more notes from Day Two at the Winter Meetings. Again, all are reports from different web sites and news agencies:

The Yankees are willing to spend a ton of money to upgrade their pitching rotation, so much so that they are going after not one, not two, but three big-name pitchers.

The Yankees reportedly want to sign the top three free-agent pitchers on the market: CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe.

The Associated Press is reporting that Yankees GM Brian Cashman left the meetings in Las Vegas to head to San Francisco to talk with Sabathia.
* Speaking of pitchers, the on again, off again saga of Jake Peavy appears back on again. Multiple teams again appear to be involved in the trade, at least the Padres, Cubs and Phillies. If it is a complicated deal, it may not be completed until after the Winter Meetings.

* Pirates general manager Neal Huntington wouldn't say that any players on his team are untouchable. Apparently other teams feel the same way because the Braves were asking about both Nate McLouth and Paul Maholm.

Relax Pirates fans (the five of you that are left), there is talk the club will try to sign the duo plus Ryan Doumit to long-term contracts.