Pirates complete contract with outfielder Church
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates officially have signed free-agent outfielder Ryan Church, the team announced this morning, to the one-year, $1.5 million contract that had been previously reported.
Management plans to use Church in a reserve role, behind everyday outfielders Lastings Milledge, Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones.
Church, 31, is coming off a 2009 in which he batted .273 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 111 games split between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves. He was hampered much of the summer by a sore back caused by an aggravated sacroiliac joint. In December, he was non-tendered by Atlanta after making $2.8 million, as he surely would have gotten a raise through the arbitration process.
"An important part of this process is finding a guy who makes us better, a guy who is an upgrade over what we have, who understands what the expected role is but also understands the upside of that role," Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said. "In Ryan Church, I think we've got a guy who plays solid defense on the corners, who's capable in center field, who isn't too far removed from having a very productive major league season. We hope to get some quality at-bats and solid defense."
His best season came in 2007 with the Washington Nationals: .272 with 15 home runs, 43 doubles and 70 RBIs in 144 games.
The Pirates' 40-man roster is full.
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