DETROIT -- Felipe Rivero swore he'd never fall in love with a team again. He did so with the Nationals, only to be traded to the Pirates for Mark Melancon before completing his second full season in the major leagues. But the 26-year-old closer found it difficult to not get attached upon arriving in Pittsburgh.
In fact, watching two of his teammates depart this offseason — Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole — motivated Rivero to sign a guaranteed four-year contract extension instead of potential annual raises through arbitration. Rivero saw the impact losing both players had on the organization, and he opted for stability for a variety of reasons, including a potential trade.
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