Francisco Cervelli signs three-year contract extension with Pirates
Get breaking news and SI’s biggest stories instantly. Download the new Sports Illustrated app (iOS or Android) and personalize your experience by following your favorite teams and SI writers.
The Pittsburgh Pirates and catcher Francisco Cervelli have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension through 2019, the team announced.
The deal is reportedly worth $32 million, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman.
“We are very pleased to be able to reach a joint commitment with a quality player and person like Francisco Cervelli,” general manager Neal Huntington said in a statement. “We look forward to Francisco’s abilities, passion and energy making us better through at least the 2019 season.”
Cervelli, 30, is in the final year of his contract as he and the Pirates agreed to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million to avoid arbitration before the season.
Cervelli is hitting .276 with 32 hits and 18 RBIs in his second season with Pittsburgh. Last season, Cervelli hit .295 with seven home runs and 43 RBIs in 130 games.
• KERI: Four teams whose numbers don't match their results
He played the first seven years of his career as a member of the New York Yankees after signing as an amateur free agent in 2003. Cervelli served a 50-game suspension in 2013 for his ties to the Biogenesis scandal.
The Pirates acquired him in a trade in exchange for left-hander Justin Wilson before the 2015 season.
