PITTSBURGH, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Two-time Gold Glove second baseman Pokey Reese agreed to a two-year contract Wednesday with the Pittsburgh Pirates, who added a club option for 2004.
Financial terms were not disclosed for Reese, who was paid $3.2 million last season.
Reese, 28, is coming off a season in which he batted just .224 with nine home runs, 40 RBI and 25 stolen bases for Cincinnati.
The Reds were unwilling to pay Reese what he likely would have earned through arbitration and traded him to Boston on Dec. 18.
The Red Sox had no designs on keeping Reese, who became an unrestricted free agent when they opted not to tender him a contract. Over the last month, Reese has been rumored to be headed to Detroit, Los Angeles, the Chicago Cubs and back to Cincinnati.
The Pirates have been looking for a second baseman after trying several players at the position last season, including Pat Meares, Abraham Nunez and Rob Mackowiak.
Reese will be happy to have a steady position after making 70 starts at shortstop and 46 at second base last season, committing 15 errors.
"I got my two Gold Gloves at second base," he said. "Moving to short, I wasn't that comfortable."
The addition of Reese bolsters a Pirates' lineup that is lacking in speed. First baseman Kevin Young led the team last year with 15 steals.
Reese has a .250 career batting average with 36 homers and 180 RBI. He has stolen 120 bases and been caught just 23 times.
Reese had his best season in 1999, hitting .285 with 38 stolen bases. That winter the Reds refused to include Reese in a deal involving Ken Griffey Jr. and later acquired Griffey in a different trade.
The deal for Reese marks the second notable free agent signing this winter for the Pirates, who were 62-100 last season. Pittsburgh signed reliever Mike Williams away from Houston after trading him at the deadline.
