Pirates Sign Paul Maholm to Three-Year Deal

by Charlie Wilmoth on Jan 29, 2009 12:12 PM EST

Not many details yet, but the Pirates have an option for a fourth year, which would buy out Maholm's first year of free agency, which is nice. The terms of these sorts of deals are usually favorable, but in this case, I'll have to see them--Maholm isn't a dominant starting pitcher, and the rules state that no more than two Pirates starters can perform well each year.

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Good move

Maholm is a good young pitcher, so this was smart to secure him now. Hopefully he can lead the staff and hopefully the rest of the starting rotation follows in his footsteps.

Pirates change name and jersey?- http://pabaseball.blogspot.com/2009/01/new-pirates-uniforms-to-be-proud-of.html

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by GMCarson on Jan 29, 2009 12:14 PM EST reply actions

Awesome

Good Ideas on that link

10 Quality Starts in a row/Aug. 08 - BUT now we can't hit:(

by .500 Please on Jan 29, 2009 2:30 PM EST up reply actions

the rules

the rules state that no more than two Pirates starters can perform well each year

if only two Pirates starters had performed well last year!

by gonfalon on Jan 29, 2009 12:25 PM EST reply actions

Buying High

I’m not predicting bad things, but Maholm is exactly what DL projected, a back of the rotation pitcher on a good team. Further, he has had one very solid year. I don’t know why you lock him up at this point.

Good day.

by Uncle Nate on Jan 29, 2009 12:56 PM EST reply actions

Cost Certainty

They locked him up so that they know exactly what they will pay him for the next three to four years. If he goes out and has an All-Star season this year, his salary would skyrocket in arbitration next year, throwing the 2010 budget (and by extension, the 2011 budget, because he would only get a raise in arbitration after 2010) off-kilter and requiring salary dumps to keep payroll within ownership-mandated parameters.

There’s no way they won’t keep Maholm at least through his arbitration years, so they’ve put an exact dollar figure on his salary rather than waiting from year to year; it’s the same thing they did with Doumit and wanted to do with McLouth.

by Bishop1973 on Jan 29, 2009 1:40 PM EST up reply actions

Maholm

I don’t know if Maholm will ever have a good a season as he had last year. But I honestly think he is at least an average Major League starting pitcher. So I’m happy with this extension considering an average starter in his first year of free agency usually breaks the bank.

North Side Notch

by northsidenotch on Jan 29, 2009 1:40 PM EST reply actions