Sox agree to terms with Pierzynski

The White Sox have agreed to terms on a two-year, $8-million contract with catcher A.J. Pierzynski. Under terms of the deal, Pierzynski will earn $2 million in 2011 and $6 million in 2012.

Pierzynski, who turns 34 on December 30, batted .270 (128-474) with nine home runs and 56 RBI in 128 games with the White Sox in 2010. His .364 (51-140) average from August 12-remainder of the season was the best mark in the American League.

The 6-foot-3, 230-pound Pierzynski is a career .284 (1,379-4,852) hitter with 120 home runs and 605 RBI in 1,365 games with Minnesota (1999-2003), San Francisco (2004) and the White Sox (2005-current). In six seasons with the Sox, he has batted .278 (821-2,953) with 83 home runs and 335 RBI and was a member of the 2005 World Series champions.

Pierzynski, who has never been on the disabled list at the major-league level, ranks 14th all-time among catchers with 1,359 hits and 25th with 11,088.1 innings caught (IC). He and Jason Kendall are the only active players with at least 1,000.0 IC in each of the last nine seasons.

Since the start of the 2001 season, Pierzynski leads all major-league catchers with 275 doubles, ranks second with 1,266 games caught, third with 1,325 hits and 406 extra-base hits, fourth with 549 runs scored and fifth with 574 RBI.

He originally signed with the White Sox as a free agent on January 6, 2005.