Pittsburgh, PA – Former Waterloo Bucks infielder Clint Barmes signed a free agent deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday. Barmes (pronounced BAR-mus), who played with Waterloo in 1999 and 2000, signed a two-year deal worth $10.5 million, making the 32-year-old middle infielder currently Pittsburgh’s highest-paid player going into next year.

Barmes, who played for the Houston Astros last season, hit .244 with 27 doubles, 12 homers, 39 RBI, 47 runs scored, and a .312 on-base percentage in 2011. A career .252 hitter, Barmes led all regular National League shortstops in 2011 with a 7.9 ultimate zone rating, a sabermetric statistic that calculates how many more runs a player saves on defense than an average replacement.

An Indiana State University product, Barmes finished the 1999 season for the Bucks with 48 runs, 16 doubles, nine home runs, 52 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. For a career with Waterloo, Barmes hit .263 with 11 home runs and 56 RBI.