Pirates, Cervelli agree to 3-year extension
The Pittsburgh Pirates have locked down catcher Francisco Cervelli to a three-year extension, the club announced.
According to multiple reports, the deal is worth $31 million. The contract is expected to be worth $9 million in 2017, $10.5 million in 2018 and $11.5 million in 2019.
"We are very pleased to be able to reach a joint commitment with a quality player and person like Francisco Cervelli," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "We look forward to Francisco's abilities, passion and energy making us better through at least the 2019 season."
It's been a long road for Cervelli, who was in a totally different state of his career a few years ago.
| Year | Situation |
|---|---|
| 2012 | AAA |
| 2013 | Biogenesis suspension |
| 2014 | Extended DL stint |
| 2015 | Wins Pirates' starting job |
| 2016 | $31M extension |
Cervelli's offense has picked up since he joined the Pirates in 2015 and he's done a superb job of managing the pitching staff.
In his two seasons in Pittsburgh, the 30-year-old is batting .291/.373/.384 with seven homers and 61 RBIs while logging 163 regular-season games. Over that time, he's also posted the best on-base percentage among catchers, while notching the third-most hits in the majors behind Yadier Molina and Sal Perez.