The Pirates and right-handed pitcher Jeff Karstens have agreed to a one-year major league contract pending a physical, according to a source.

Karstens, 30, was non-tendered by the club this offseason when the team acquired catcher Russell Martin.

Exact financial figures were not immediately available, but the deal is believed to be worth around $2.5 million. He earned $3.1 million last season and would have earned a raise through the arbitration process.

The deal comes against the backdrop of the Pirates’ negotiations with left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano, who agreed to terms with the Pirates but injured his non-throwing arm before undergoing a physical.

The agreement means that Jeff Locke and Kyle McPherson will compete during spring training for the final spot in the rotation and all but removes the chance that they both enter the season with a starting job, which was a possibility after the hold-up in the Liriano deal.

Limited by injuries last season, Karstens went 5-4 with a 3.97 ERA. In five seasons with the Pirates, he is 23-35 with a 4.31 ERA.

The Pirates originally acquired Karstens from the New York Yankees in a deal that sent Xavier Nady and Domaso Marte to the Bronx for Karstens, Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen.

First Published: March 24, 2016, 5:18 p.m.