Jason Grilli will be back in the Pirates’ bullpen next season, having secured his spot on the club by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. According to mlbtraderumors.com, the contract will pay Grilli $1.1 million in 2012.

After beginning the 2011 season in the Phillies’ Minor League system, Grilli was granted his release on July 19 so that he could sign with Pittsburgh two days later. He went on to make 28 appearances and post a 2.48 ERA with the Pirates. Grilli, 35, struck out 37 and walked 15 in those 32 2/3 innings.

The right-hander quickly worked his way into a set-up role and was scored upon just twice in his final 19 appearances.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates and Brewers swapped arbitration-eligible players on Monday, with Casey McGehee coming to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Jose Veras.

Veras was in jeopardy of not being tendered a contract by Monday’s deadline, while McGehee became expandable after Milwaukee signed free agent Aramis Ramirez to be the club’s starting third baseman.

After batting .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBIs in 2010, McGehee endured a tough 2011 season. He hit just .223 with 13 homers, 67 RBIs and a .280 on-base percentage. McGehee appeared in 155 games, mostly as the team’s starting third baseman.

The addition of McGehee, 29, gives the Pirates another option at third base, though the club has insisted that Pedro Alvarez will get the first crack at holding onto the starting role. If the Pirates don’t need McGehee to step in and play third, he could be used across the diamond at first base or as a back-up outfielder.

Veras made a career-high 79 appearances for the Pirates in 2011, many of those coming in late-inning, set-up situations. The 31-year-old right-hander finished with a 3.80 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 34 walks in 71 innings.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates made a trade late on Wednesday to acquire infielder Yamaico Navarro from the Royals in exchange for Minor Leaguers Brooks Pounders and Diego Goris. Pittsburgh will officially add Navarro to the 40-man roster on Thursday, at which time the club will have to make a corresponding roster move.

Navarro, 24, profiles as a candidate to compete for the role as a backup infielder. In limited Major League action over the past two seasons, Navarro has appeared at second, third, short and in the outfield. The Pirates, who designated Pedro Ciriaco for assignment earlier on Wednesday, will need a backup to new shortstop Clint Barmes in 2012.

A .279 hitter over six Minor League seasons, Navarro was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Red Sox in 2005. He entered 2011 ranked as the organization’s 12th-best prospect but was later dealt to the Royals in exchange for Mike Aviles at the Trade Deadline.

Pounders, a second-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, went 5-5 with a 3.68 ERA in 36 games (one start) at the low-A level. In 2011, Goris, 21, hit .350 with 20 doubles, five homers, 46 RBIs and 53 runs scored in the Dominican Summer League. He was named to the DSL All-Star team each of the past two seasons.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates have signed left-hander Erik Bedard to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, a source has confirmed to MLB.com. The club is expected to make an official announcement regarding the signing later on Wednesday.

When the deal becomes official, the Pirates will have to open up a spot for Bedard on the 40-man roster.

Bedard, 32, split the 2011 season between Seattle and Boston, going 5-9 with a 3.62 ERA. He struck out 125 and walked 48 in 129 1/3 innings. He has a career 3.70 ERA in parts of eight seasons in the Majors.

– Jenifer Langosch

Free agent outfielder Nate McLouth has agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Pirates. The contract is likely to be finalized and announced on Wednesday, after McLouth goes through a physical. The $1.75 million is all guaranteed money, though there may also be some incentives built into the deal.

For McLouth, a return to Pittsburgh will offer him the chance to get playing time and try to rebuild his value back up after a few dismal years in Atlanta. McLouth’s last full season with the Pirates was in 2008, when he was an All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner.

For the Pirates, the reunion gives the club an experienced fourth outfielder.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates are close to reaching a deal with free agent Nate McLouth, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Tuesday afternoon.

McLouth is no stranger to Pittsburgh, which drafted the 30-year-old outfielder in 2000. McLouth broke into the Majors in 2005 and was a part of the organization until being traded to Atlanta in June 2009.

Though McLouth was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the Pirates in ’08, he never came close to that type of success with the Braves. In parts of three seasons with the Braves, McLouth hit just .229 with 44 doubles, 21 homers and 76 RBIs in 250 games.

This last season was the final year of a three-year extension that McLouth signed just months before the Pirates dealt him away for Charlie Morton, Gorkys Hernandez and Jeff Locke.

The Pirates’ interest in signing McLouth comes from their need to add to their outfield depth. McLouth would be a candidate to take one of the corner outfield spots, though the Pirates would likely give Alex Presley the first chance to solidify himself as a starter.

The deal, which is believed to be for one year, is not expected to be finalized until Wednesday, at the earliest.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates have filled their hole at shortstop, replacing Ronny Cedeno with Clint Barmes, who confirmed on Monday that he has agreed to a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. The contract is worth $10.5 million.

Pittsburgh has been looking for a new shortstop since deciding not to exercise Cedeno’s $3 million option for 2012. That pushed Cedeno into a fairly thin free agent shortstop market, which already included Barmes. Barmes, who spent the 2011 season in Houston, became a free agent at the end of the year due to service time.

By signing with the Pirates, Barmes will be reunited with Clint Hurdle, Barmes’ long-time manager in Colorado. Drafted by the Rockies in 2000, Barmes spent parts of eight seasons in Colorado before being traded to the Astros.

Knowing that he would be able to remain at short also made Pittsburgh an appealing destination. Though Barmes played almost exclusively as a shortstop in 2011, he has appeared in 306 Major League games as a second baseman.

“In talking with my agent and talking with the club, they were wanting to make a decision and they wanted to know by pretty much yesterday who their shortstop was going to be so they could continue to move on,” Barmes said. “It was one of those things they had a few others guys lined up behind me, and the way it was explained to me I was the first in line as far as who they wanted. They threw a great offer.”

Barmes confirmed that the Brewers were also talking to him about a two-year deal but weren’t willing to make an offer until things were resolved with Prince Fielder. The Astros, who are rebuilding, were not going to be able to afford to re-sign the middle infielder.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates claimed catcher Brian Jeroloman (Blue Jays) and right-hander Jeremy Hefner (Padres) off waivers on Friday in moves designed to improve the club’s depth at both positions. The club also announced that catcher Matt Pagnozzi has been removed from the 40-man roster and outrighted to the Minors.

Jeroloman, 26, spent the rest of 2011 catching for Triple-A Las Vegas. In 79 games, he hit .240 with nine doubles, two homers and 26 RBIs. While his .245 career Minor League average is rather pedestrian, Jeroloman’s .378 on-base percentage is a reflection of his excellent plate discipline. Known more for his strength on defense, Jeroloman is likely to begin the 2012 season in Triple-A.

In his first full season at Triple-A, Hefner went 9-7 with a 4.98 ERA in 28 starts in 2011. He struck out 120 and walked 61 in 157 1/3 innings, though Hefner was passed by other pitching prospects in the Padres’ system last year. Hefner, too, will be a longshot to crack the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.

Pagnozzi, who was a late season waiver claim by the Pirates, now has the ability to declare for Minor League free agency. The Pirates have made him an offer to return under a Minor League contract, though Pagnozzi will likely first see what other offers are available before accepting.

– Jenifer Langosch

An aggressive pursuit of free agent Rod Barajas paid off for the Pirates, who were able to ink the veteran catcher to a one-year deal that includes as club option for 2013.

According to an industry source, Barajas will make $4 million in 2012. His 2013 club option is worth $3.5 million and does not include a buyout. That makes Barajas currently the highest-paid player on the club. Barajas said that salary, playing time, state of the team and location all played a role in his decision to sign with Pittsburgh only a week after the free agent market opened.

“They were aggressive,” said Barajas, who confirmed that he also had firm offers from multiple other teams. “They definitely showed that they wanted me to be a part of the team. For me, to feel like I’m wanted is huge. The way they came after me, that’s what you want to feel when you’re a free agent.”

Though Barajas was signed to be the team’s No. 1 catcher, general manager Neal Huntington would not officially close the door on the possibility of Ryan Doumit or Chris Snyder – both recently had their club options denied – returning. Regardless, the chances have to be slim-to-none for both.

An industry source said, not long before the Barajas signing was announced, that there was already a “very small chance” that Doumit would return. That source added that Doumit has received interest from a number of teams since the free agent market opened last week. Doumit is seeking the opportunity to be a starter again.

– Jenifer Langosch

Under general manager Neal Huntington, the Pirates have never been big players in the free agent market. The club is not going to make a splash in the top tier of free agents this winter, but the Pirates do have an extensive list of needs that are going to need to be addressed.

At the top of the Pirates’ offseason list is signing a starting catcher, starting first baseman and starting shortstop. The team has internal candidates for each of these three positions, but none of those internal options are especially appealing. There is also a need to add some starting pitching depth. Huntington said that he is willing to fill any of these holes via trades, but the Pirates are still wary of sacrificing too many prospects in order to build their big league club.

The club recently declined club options on Ronny Cedeno, Paul Maholm, Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit. The Pirates are leaving the door open to any of the four re-signing, though all four are going to first explore what the market has to offer them elsewhere. The club is also interested in bringing back free agent first baseman Derrek Lee, though Lee, too, is going to see what other offers might emerge before engaging in any serious discussions with Pittsburgh.

– Jenifer Langosch