Pirates Avoid Arbitration With Jeff Karstens

Posted by Jon on 12:27 PM
The Pirates have avoided arbitration with starting pitcher Jeff Karstens by signing him to a one-year deal worth $3.1 million. At this time last year, this would have been baffling, but Karstens put a very strong 2011 season together and earned this money. I'm not going to bet on him replicating that success (or even coming very close to it) in 2012, but the Pirates really didn't have a choice in signing him to this deal.