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Announced yesterday by a pair of Major League clubs, a pair of former Hokies – Joe Saunders and Wyatt Toregas – signed baseball contracts.

The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided arbitration and agreed to terms with the left-handed pitching Saunders on a one-year contract for 2011. Saunders, 29, compiled an overall record of 9-17 with a 4.47 ERA (101 ER in 203.1 IP) in 33 starts last season with the D-backs and Angels.

He posted a 3-7 record and 4.25 ERA in 13 starts for the D-backs last season after being acquired in the five-player trade that sent Dan Haren to the Angels on July 25. Saunders struck out a career-high 114 batters in a career-high 203.1 innings. His 15 quality starts last season were the second-highest total of his career.

Selected by Los Angeles Angles with the 12^th pick in the 2002 draft out of Virginia Tech, Saunders has posted a 57-39 record with a 4.29 ERA during his six-year Major League career, posting at least 30 or more starts in each of his four full seasons. He was an All-Star in 2008 in the midst of compiling a career-best 17-7 record and 3.41 ERA.

Also, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced they agreed to terms with catcher Toregas on a minor league contract. Toregas, 28, was a member of Cleveland's 40-man roster in spring training last year and spent the 2010 season in the Indians farm system.

Originally selected by Cleveland in the 24th round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft out of Virginia Tech, Toregas made his big league debut with the Indians in 2009 and made 19 appearances behind the plate for the Tribe that season. 

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