HBT: Bucs avoid arbitration with Walker, McDonald

UPDATE: Rob Biertempfel of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports that Walker will get $3.3 million while McDonald will get $3.025 million.

7:31 PM: The Pirates announced this evening that they have avoided arbitration by agreeing to one-year contracts with second baseman Neil Walker and right-hander James McDonald. No word yet on the terms involved.

Walker was arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter as a Super Two player after batting .280/.342/.426 with 14 home runs, 69 RBI and a .768 OPS last season. The 27-year-old requested $3.6 million and was offered $3 million by the Pirates when arbitration figures were exchanged earlier this month. The two sides have previously expressed interest in a contract extension, so it?s possible they could revisit the possibility down the road.

McDonald was also arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, though not as a Super Two. The 28-year-old right-hander is coming off an up-and-down campaign in which he posted a 4.21 ERA and 151/69 K/BB ratio over 171 innings. He requested $3.4 million and was offered $2.65 million from the Pirates when arbitration figures were swapped this month.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/31/pirates-avoid-arbitration-with-neil-walker-and-james-mcdonald/related/

kurt busch kurt busch nba dunk contest 2012 act of valor woody guthrie benson henderson 2012 dunk contest