Pittsburgh Pirates to sign Jason Grilli

The Pittsburgh Pirates will re-sign right-hander Jason Grilli, as the sides are nearing a two-year agreement, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports:

Source: Grilli back to #Pirates. Two-year deal. Pending physical.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2012

Grilli’s two-year agreement with the Pirates is pending physical, according to Rosenthal.

Grilli has spent the past two seasons with the Pirates. Last year he maintained an ERA of 2.91 over 64 appearances spanning 58 2/3 innings. He posted an even better mark in 2011, 2.48, over 28 appearances spanning 32 2/3 innings.

Before signing with the Pirates in July of 2011 after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies, Grilli was more or less a journeyman reliever. From 2004 through 2009 the right-hander maintained an ERA of 4.74 with 6.6 strikeouts and 4.1 walks per nine innings. Over two seasons with the Pirates he’s posted an ERA of 2.76 with a whopping 12.5 strikeouts and 3.6 walks per nine innings.

It’s been a long and winding road for the former first round pick (4^th overall selection in the 1997 MLB Draft) and top prospect. The 36-year-old owns a career ERA of 4.34 with 7.8 strikeouts and 4.0 walks per nine innings.