Bucs reach deal with Duke, claim outfielder B. Jones off waivers
PITTSBURGH -- Pirates left-handed starter Zach Duke avoided a possible arbitration hearing by agreeing to a $4.3 million, one-year contract.
Tuesday was the deadline for teams and players to exchange salary arbitration figures.
The 26-year-old Duke gets a $1 million raise from last season, when he was 11-16 with a 4.06 ERA in 32 starts while allowing 231 hits in 213 innings. He also was chosen for the All-Star Game.
Duke had been the Pirates' only remaining arbitration-eligible player.
The Pirates also claimed outfielder Brandon Jones off waivers from the Atlanta Braves and added him to their 40-man roster.
The left-handed hitting Jones spent most of last season at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .281 with 28 doubles, seven home runs and 57 RBI in 107 games. He played in 51 games with Atlanta the last three seasons -- 41 games in 2008 -- and had a .257 average.
The Braves took Jones off their 40-man roster last week to make room for outfielder Eric Hinske, who began last season with Pittsburgh.
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