Over the weekend we heard that the Pittsburgh Pirates tried to extend outfielder Starling Marte, but that Marte has turned down two extension attempts. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports says that the Pirates tried to extend Marte for six years, which would start after his one year deal in 2014. That extension would put Marte under team control through the 2020 season.
The extension would have covered Marte’s final league minimum year, his three arbitration years, and his first two years of free agency. That’s the same time frame as Andrew McCutchen’s extension, although McCutchen signed his deal heading into his final league minimum year. Heyman didn’t report any financial details for the six-year offer.
Currently the Pirates have McCutchen and Marte both under team control through the 2018 season. Gregory Polanco is expected to arrive and join those two this summer, and would be under team control through the 2020 season.