The Pittsburgh Pirates and reliever Octavio Dotel have the framework of a one year contract about finalized that will pay Dotel in the range of $2.85 million per season, sources tell TIOPS.
An agreement is expected to be reached by the evening or early morning. Only holdup is the amount of incentives in the deal. Including incentives, the deal is expected to be worth in the range of $3.25 million.
Dotel made $6 million in 2009 and will enter spring training as the favorite to be the Pirates opening day closer.
Dotel, 36, made 62 appearances in 2009 and finished with a 3.32 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 62 1/3 innings for the Chicago Whitesox.
Pirates GM Neal Huntington has been active this week in rebuilding his bullpen, signing reliever Brian Bass to a minor league contract and Whitesox reliever D.J. Carrasco who has also agreed to a minor league deal.