Reports on Thursday indicated that the Pirates signed backup catcher Chris Stewart to a contract extension. Robert Murray of Baseball Essential was one of the first to report on the extension. Stewart was expected to be awarded a deal of $1.6 million through arbitration. The team has not officially announced the signing.
Stewart was traded to the Pirates from the Yankees in 2013 for Kyle Haynes. In his two seasons with the club, Stewart has a BA of .292 and OPS of .675. In backing up Francisco Cervelli, the Pirates had one of the most productive catching tandems in the league.