Coming on the heels of this offseason's acquisition of high-priced starter A.J. Burnett, the Pittsburgh Pirates made a deal for another well-compensated pitcher on Tuesday. The trade with Houston for Wandy Rodriguez provided a jolt of excitement for Bucs' fans on Tuesday night after a loss to the Cubs. Pittsburgh sent Rudy Owens, Robbie Grossman, and Colton Cain to Houston in exchange for the veteran lefty.
One big outstanding issue was how the money would shake out between the Astros and Pirates -- including a player option in the final year, Rodriguez is owed $30 million through the 2014 season. Per Bucs Dugout, the Pirates will pay Rodriguez $1.7 million of the remaining salary this season while the Astros will pay $2.3 million. The Bucs will then pay $8.5 of the $13 million owed next season. If Rodriguez exercises his player option in the third year (which is expected), the Pirates will be on the hook for $7.5 million.
In total, the Pirates will pay approximately $17.7 million of the remaining $30 million owed to Rodriguez over the next two and a half seasons.
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