Pirates sign Chris Stewart to 2-year extension

The Pirates have agreed to sign catcher Chris Stewart to a 2-year extension that includes a club option for 2018, according to a baseball source. Robert Murray of Baseball Essential first reported the agreement.

Financial terms are unknown at this point. Stewart earned $1.225 million in 2015, and will likely receive a raise in his new deal.

Stewart was arbitration-eligible for a third time this winter, meaning that today's agreement extends Pittsburgh's control of the backstop by two seasons. Stewart has served as the team's backup catcher for the last two seasons, hitting .292/.340/.336 in 107 games.

Stewart, who turns 34 in February, is a veteran of nine major-league seasons with the White Sox (2006), Rangers (2007), Yankees (2008, 2012-13), Padres (2010), Giants (2011) and Pirates (2014-15). He is a lifetime .238/.303/.303 hitter in 364 career major-league games.

Pittsburgh is known to be looking for cost certainty in talks with its players, though indications are that the Pirates have not tried to work out an extension with Francisco Cervelli this winter.