weekend. ... Pirates 2B Neil Walker (appendectomy) is expected to be reinstated from the DL Tuesday. ... The Rays havent announced if RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) will need one more minor league start before returning. .. Tam

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Starter Homer Bailey agreed to a six-year, $105 million deal on Wednesday that avoids arbitration and will help the Cincinnati Reds with their cash flow by temporarily deferring some of the salary. The deal includes a $25 million mutual option for 2020 with a $5 million buyout. Bailey was the Reds final player left in arbitration. He reached the agreement a day before his scheduled hearing in Florida. He made $5.35 million last season and had asked for $11.6 million in arbitration. The Reds offered $8.7 million, their biggest gap with one of their arbitration-eligible players. The 27-year-old Texan was coming off a season that included his second no-hitter. The sides struck a deal that will help the Reds with their cash flow. Bailey gets salaries of $9 million this year, $10 million in 2015, $18 million in 2016, $19 million in 2017, $21 million in 2018 and $23 million in 2019. In an unusual twist, much of the annual salary will be deferred until the November after each season. Bailey will be paid in-season amounts of $3 million this year, $4 million next year, $11 million in 2016, $12 million in 2017, $14 million in 2018 and $15 million in 2019. If he is traded, his new team would have to pay all of the salary amounts during the season. Also, the $5 million buyout would be paid when either side decides not to exercise the option rather than having it deferred until November as well. The Reds planned to discuss the deal on Thursday. Bailey declined to comment on the agreement after a workout on Wednesday. Baileys was the last arbitration case left in the majors. Teams won two of three cases that went to hearings, with the Indians beating pitchers Vinnie Pestano and Josh Tomlin. Pitcher Andrew Cashner won his case with San Diego. Owners have a 293-215 margin since arbitration began in 1974. Bailey went a career-best 13-10 with a 3.68 ERA in 2012, completing his breakthrough season by throwing a no-hitter in Pittsburgh on Sept 28. He followed that with the 16th no-hitter in franchise history last June, a 3-0 win over San Francisco at Great American Ball Park. Bailey went 11-12 with a 3.49 ERA last year, leaving him in line for a big salary increase in arbitration or a long-term deal. The Reds rotation in includes five players under the age of 30 -- Johnny Cueto (28), Mat Latos (26), Bailey (27), Mike Leake (26) and left-hander Tony Cingrani (24). Replica Shoes . He was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 5th. The 34-year-old Laval, Que. native has played six seasons with the Penguins. Fake Shoes . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. https://www.fakeshoes.net/. You can watch all the action on TSN2 beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. Pineda won his second straight start last Wednesday against Chicago, as he held the Cubs to just four hits over six scoreless innings to run his record to 2-0, while lowering his ERA to 1. Fake Shoes From China . The Toronto Blue Jays general manager made a series of bold moves that reshaped the club ahead of what would turn out to be a disastrous 2013 campaign. Fake Yeezy . For the Athletics, hes extremely important at the top of the order, especially with Coco Crisp hurting. Jaso drove in three runs Sunday night, helping Scott Kazmir and Oakland beat the Texas Rangers 9-3. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Pedro Alvarezs first homer in almost three weeks helped the Pittsburgh Pirates improve to .500 for just the second time in more than two months. The slumping 2013 co-NL home run champion backed Edinson Volquezs pitching with a three-run shot, keying an 8-1 victory over the sputtering Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night. "It always helps, obviously, when I can contribute to a team victory," said Alvarez, whos hitting .232 with 12 homers and 38 RBIs. "Ive always said sometimes results arent indicative of how you may feel at the plate, and I feel like Im a good place," the slugger added. "Im just going to continue to work." Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 5, drove in two runs and stole two bases for the Pirates in a homecoming of sorts for last years NL MVP, who grew up in nearby Fort Meade and had never played before at Tropicana Field. He also scored twice in Pittsburghs first appearance in St. Petersburg since 2003. Alvarez, who hadnt homered since June 3, went deep off Alex Cobb (2-6) during a four-run fourth inning that also featured the first of McCutchens two RBI singles. The first-pitch, 419-foot drive over the wall in centre field snapped a season-high 16-game stretch without a homer -- Alvarezs longest since a 22-game drought that began in September 2012 and extended into last season. "A lot of times people have been taking their chances with Pedro, and hes an important part of our offence," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We need him to fire, we need him to drive in runs and that was very good to see. Three-run homers always play well." Volquez (5-6) allowed five hits in a season-high eight innings. James Loney drove in Tampa Bays only run with a two-out, first-inning single, and the Pirates supported their starting pitcher by turning three double plays. "I got a lot of help," Volquez said. The Pirates climbed to .500 (38-38) for just the second timme since April 17, when they were 8-8.dddddddddddd They have won four of five following a three-game skid and are a NL-best 26-18 since May 6. Tampa Bay has dropped 19 of its past 27 and is saddled with the worst record in the major leagues at 31-47. "I feel like with every loss its an opportunity missed," Cobb said, adding if the Rays are going to turn their season around theyve got to get on a roll soon. McCutchen, who is batting .366 in June, boosted his average in 11 interleague games to .425 with nine walks, four doubles and seven RBIs. His run-scoring single off Cobb moved him ahead of Brian Giles for the Pirates career record for RBIs in interleague action with 52. He added another in the ninth off Kirby Yates. Alvarez, meanwhile, is hitting .317 with two home runs and eight RBIs against AL teams this season. Cobb, making his seventh start since spending five weeks on the disabled list with a left oblique strain, allowed six runs and six hits in five innings. Volquez won for the third time in his last five starts. The right-hander walked two, struck out one and didnt allow a hit after the fourth inning. Three of Tampa Bays six hits were infield singles, including Kevin Kiermaiers second-inning bunt. Jeanmar Gomez pitched the ninth for the Pirates, yielding a two-out single to Loney. NOTES: Pirates OF Starling Marte was back in the lineup after missing two games tending to a personal matter at home in the Dominican Republic. ... Pittsburgh RHP Gerrit Cole (right shoulder fatigue) threw 83 pitches over six innings in a simulated game and could rejoin the rotation this weekend. ... Pirates 2B Neil Walker (appendectomy) is expected to be reinstated from the DL Tuesday. ... The Rays havent announced if RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) will need one more minor league start before returning. .. Tampa Bay 1B-OF Jerry Sands has a wrist injury, which Rays manager Joe Maddon said could require surgery. ' ' '