BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Pirates signed another of their key players to a multi-year deal yesterday, agreeing with Ian Snell on a contract that potentially could cover five years and pay the right-hander at least $24.6 million.

The deal, which replaces the one-year contract the Pirates renewed for Snell at $435,000 a week ago, takes effect this year and could run through 2012.

"It's not about the money," Snell said. "It's more about winning. I'd love to stay here and build winning seasons. Hopefully I'm here longer than just this deal."

In early February, the Pirates signed second baseman Freddy Sanchez to a two-year contract worth $11 million, plus an option year worth $8 million.

"It's part of a plan as we move forward to sign players we can build a championship club around," general manager Neal Huntington said. "Ian's performance the last two years ranks among the best in the game among young starters. He's a battler, a competitor, a gamer. Every pitch has something behind it. He doesn't take a pitch off.

"With this deal, Ian gets the [financial] stability and we get the cost certainty."

Snell, 26, who made $408,000 last year, would have been eligible for salary arbitration for the first time after this season. This contract buys out two years of salary arbitration and gives the Pirates options for the final year of his salary arbitration eligibility and the first year of Snell's opportunity to become a free agent.

Snell receives a $600,000 signing bonus and a 2008 salary of $750,000.

He gets $3 million in 2009, then $4.25 million in 2010.

His 2011 salary would be $6.75 million (plus standard incentives). That would jump to $9.25 million (plus incentives) in 2012.

Not bad for a guy who was a 26th-round draft pick in 2000.

"My family always told me to just be patient, that good things come to patient people," Snell said.

While being patient, Snell, who's 5 feet 11, had to deal with a lot of stuff.

"People always told me, 'You're not going to make it,' " he said. "They talked about my [size], told me I should be in the bullpen."

He also had to contend with pitching behind No. 1 draft picks Sean Burnett, John Van Benschoten, Bryan Bullington and Paul Maholm.

Snell always seemed to have a chip on his shoulder.

"I have that drive to win," Snell said. "I feel like teams are out to beat me, out to beat the Pirates. I don't like that."

Snell, who was 58-20 with a 2.85 earned run average in 111 minor-league appearances and pitched a no-hitter for Class AAA Indianapolis in 2005, was 14-11 with a 4.74 earned run average in his first full major-league season in 2006.

Last season, his earned run average dropped to 3.76, but his record was 9-12.

What's important, though, is his innings total. He worked 186 innings in 2006 and 208 last season.

"He's a heck of a pitcher -- just a heck of a pitcher," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "He doesn't mind taking the ball. He's still learning some things about the game, learning how to handle bad starts. I've talked to him a lot. I think he's come a long way from last year to this year.

"He wants to lead this staff. He's got the stuff. He just needs to keep getting innings."

"I'm just glad this is all done," Snell said. "Hard work goes a long way. I can only go further up the ladder from here."

The deal was discussed between the Pirates and Joe Sroba, Snell's agent, off and on during the winter. About five days ago, it appeared nothing would get done because the sides were "a ways apart," Huntington said.

However, things came together quickly in the previous two or three days.

"There was movement on the dollars on both sides," Huntington said.