Report: Pirates, 3B Alvarez agree to deal

Sep 22, 2008 - 4:13 PM PITTSBURGH (Ticker) -- The Pittsburgh Pirates and third baseman Pedro Alvarez have agreed on a revised four-year, major league contract worth a guaranteed $6.355 million, according to a report Monday from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The newspaper reported that Alvarez, the second-overall pick in June's draft, will officially sign the contract following a physical this week.

According to one of the newspaper's three sources, the grievance hearing against the commissioner Bud Selig's office will now be dropped.

The hearing stemmed from the commissioner's office unilaterally extending the August 15 midnight signing deadline for players drafted in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft. It was expected to last for months.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington and president Frank Coonelly were among those expected to testify at some point during the hearing, which would have determined if Alvarez would be bound to the verbal agreement he made around midnight on August 15.

Represent by agent Scott Boras, Alvarez agreed to a $6 million minor league contract, but the sides disagreed about whether or not an agreement was reached by the deadline.

Alvarez did not report to Pittsburgh for a physical and Boras claimed that the former Vanderbilt standout was not bound to the contract because it occurred during an unfair extension granted by Major League Baseball.