Bucs make one-year pact with Snider
Outfielder's deal leaves club with five arbitration-eligible players
Outfielder Travis Snider and the Pirates agreed on a one-year, $1.2 million contract on Thursday, thus avoiding arbitration.
The club has not announced the accord, which was confirmed by MLB sources.
Snider was one of six Pirates eligible for salary arbitration. The five others, who on Friday will exchange salary figures with the team barring additional agreements, are infielders Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker and Gaby Sanchez; and right-handed relievers Mark Melancon and Vin Mazzaro.
Eligible for arbitration for the first time, Snider received a $700,000 raise on his 2013 salary and stands to enter Spring Training next month in competition with Jose Tabata for the right-field job. Rookies Andrew Lambo and Jaff Decker, both also left-handed hitters, will also vie at the position.
Although the latter stages of his '13 season were marred by a painful toe injury that led to offseason surgery, Snider was one of the Bucs' most dangerous left-handed bats off the bench, hitting three of his five homers in a pinch-hit appearance. Overall, he hit .215 with an OPS of .614 in 111 games and 261 at-bats.
Snider becomes the 11th player on the 40-man roster signed for 2014. The Pirates' commitment to those 11, topped by catcher Russell Martin ($8.5 million) and MVP outfielder Andrew McCutchen ($7.25 million), is approximately $55 million.