Pittsburgh Pirates sign David Freese to extension

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced that they have signed INF David Freese to an extension.

Some very unexpected news came out of Federal Street today as the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have signed INF David Freese to a two-year extension, with a club option for 2019.

BREAKING: The #Pirates and INF David Freese have agreed on a 2-year extension with a Club option for 2019. pic.twitter.com/jvlnFKlKsa

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 22, 2016

Jon Heyman reported the financials shortly after the deal was announced by the club.

freese: $6.25M in '17, $4.25M in '18, $6M team option or 500K buyout in '19 #bucs #bucks

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 22, 2016

The move comes as a bit of a surprise. With Josh Bell on the way and Jung Ho Kang in tow, Freese was initially seen as a very inexpensive rental. During the season, he has added first base to his repertoire, which has greatly increased his value.

While the organization has not given any indication that their commitment to Bell as the first baseman of the future has wavered, this single move can have a ripple effect through the roster. John Jaso‘s immediate future is highly in doubt. With just $4 million owed to him in 2017, Jaso could still be an intriguing trade option to other clubs, but his future is clearly not with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Should Kang rebound, it might be easy to see a future in which Bell moves back to the outfield with Freese taking over first base duties.  Of course, that would hinge on another move involving a certain former MVP in centerfield named Andrew McCutchen.

If the team feels that Kang will not rebound, Freese immediately becomes the every day answer at third base. Kang’s contract is small enough that the club can also use him as a trade chip or even get out from the contract entirely, though the Pirates are historically loathe to carry any dead salary on their books.

Here now is a look at Freese’s career stats, including his time with the Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Breakdown will update this post with financial terms once available