News & Notes: Arb, International Signings; Difo Signs, Stokes Claimed; Player Moves

 And this week...

• Pending his physical, IF Wilmer Difo, 28, has agreed to join the Pirates on a $1M + incentives, minor league deal. Difo, a switch hitter who is considered an adequate glove & versatile utility-type guy who played up the middle, some third base and a spot of OF, batted .247 in six seasons w/Nats.
• The Pirates settled all their arb cases. The resulting one-year deals: RHP Joe Musgrove, $4.45M; 2B Adam Frazier, $4.3M; IF Colin Moran, $2.8M; RHP Chad Kuhl, $2.13M; LHP Steven Brault, $2.05M; RHP Richard Rodríguez, $1.7M; C Jake Stallings, $1.3M; RHP Chris Stratton, $1.1M and RHP Kyle Crick, $800,000. The nine finalized arb salaries add up to just over $20M. The Pirates had entered the off season with 19 arb-eligible players. They re-signed RHP Jameson Taillon ($2.25M), RHP Michael Feliz ($M) and IF Erik Gonzalez ($1.225M) in December, traded Josh Bell to Washington, and waived/DFA'ed Nick Burdi, Luke Maile, John Ryan Murphy, Jose Osuna, Nick Tropeano, and Trevor Williams.

Big Joe Is Signed & Sealed. - Photo via Pirates

• Pittsburgh claimed OF Troy Stokes Jr., 24, off waivers from Detroit and DFA'ed LHP Nik Turley, who was ultimately sold to Oakland. Stokes is a good glove speedster with a .250 MiLB BA and is mainly a LF'er by trade who fits the 4th outfielder mold. He played AAA in 2019 and was out last year, eventually having hand surgery. Turley was 0-3/4.98 in 25 outings for the Pirates last year, although his FIP (3.88) and WHIP (1.108) were decent.
• In international market news, the Pirates signed 16-year-old (he's a couple of weeks shy of 17) Top 15 prospect OF Shalin Polanco (no relation to Gregory) from the Dominican Republic for $2.35M. It's the second highest Buc bonus ever paid for an international player, topped only when RHP Luis Heredia got $2.6M in 2010. (Let's hope this signing works out a little better!) They have 15 internationals under contract so far.
• Per DK's Alex Stumpf, Special Assistant David Eckstein will not return to the Pirates in 2021 because he wants to spend more time with his fam. His brother Rick will remain as the batting coach.
  
• MLB.com's Adam Berry is leaving the Bucco beat and moving on to Tampa Bay.  
  @JakeCrouseMLB
  will take his spot, starting on February 1st.
• Tyler Glasnow and the #Rays settled arb with a $4M deal.
• 32-year-old LHP Tyler Lyons, who spent a week with the Pirates in 2019 (1-1/11.25 in three outings), rejoined the NYY by agreeing to a minor league deal.