MILWAUKEE -- The Pirates and first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez signed the four-year, $6,355,000 contract that was agreed upon Sunday night.

That ended a long, often acrimonious duel that began with Alvarez being drafted June 5, then verbally agreeing to terms near the Aug. 15 deadline, then claiming the deadline was passed and, ultimately, leading to the Major League Baseball Players Association filing a grievance against commissioner Bud Selig's office that the deadline rule was violated.

Alvarez was in Pittsburgh early this morning and at PNC Park offices this afternoon, getting his physical and signing his major league contract. His agent, Scott Boras, was with him.

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