PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) — The Pirates announced a three-year contract extension through the 2014 season for general manager Neal Huntington on Sunday.

According to the Associated Press, the deal includes a team option for 2015.

The 42-year-old Huntington replaced Dave Littlefield in September of 2007.

One year after going a big league-worst 57-105, the Pirates were 51-44 and led the NL Central by a half-game before play on July 20.

A 10-game losing streak dashed their postseason hopes this year, and they began Sunday at 66-79, three losses short of ensuring another sub-.500 season.

The Associated Press reports that Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement: “Neal was hired to take on the difficult task of building an organization that can compete on a consistent basis. While there is still much work to be done, Neal and his staff have done an exceptional job of overhauling the scouting and development systems while building a strong foundation by aggressively acquiring talent through all possible avenues. We have begun to see that positive impact on the major league level this season and expect that improvement to continue as we execute our plan in building a winning organization.”

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