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Unlike most folks, the Pirates' 29-year-old first baseman probably wasn't worried about what impact the impending credit card bills would have on his wallet.

Ward achieved a measure of financial security late Monday night when he avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $950,000 contract. The deal includes $100,000 in incentives.

That represents a nice pay hike from the $600,000 Ward earned with the Pirates last season when he batted .249 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI in 79 games.

Still, Ward wasn't sure until Monday whether he'd be collecting a paycheck from the Pirates next season. He was a candidate to be non-tendered if he didn't agree to the team's terms. Negotiations were wrapped up only a few hours before the midnight deadline.

"I'm glad we were able to work things out," Ward said. "I wanted to come back and play for this team."

Any player not tendered a contract Monday would have entered the free-agent pool. In addition to signing Ward, the Pirates offered contracts to their six other arbitration-eligible players.

"It was kind of fun going through it, wondering what was going to happen, whether I'd be a free agent or whether they would sign me," Ward said. "Through it all, I just decided to keep working out and doing the things I have a control over."

Conditioning, or lack thereof, was an issue last winter when Ward struggled to shed weight after signing a minor-league contract with the Pirates in January. At the end of the season, he remained in Pittsburgh for five weeks so he could show the organization he was committed to getting in shape.

Ward continued his regimen last month after returning to his off-season home in California. He works out with a personal trainer three days a week. On two other days, Wad implements a program designed by Frank Velasquez, the Pirates head conditioning coordinator.

"My teams needs me to be in shape," Ward said, "so I want to be in good shape for them."

Even if it's by doing exercises that Ward shunned in previous winters.

"I used to work out by running, jogging or playing basketball," Ward said. "I don't do that anymore. There's no need to. The way I work out now, I'm so tired when I get done that it takes me 45 minutes to recover so I can drive home. My arms are dead, and we barely touch any weights. I do so many sit-ups that my stomach aches all the time.

"They want my core to be really strong, so my bat speed improves."

Ward is seeing results even if he isn't seeing a significant drop on the scale. The last time he weighed himself, Ward had shed only six pounds, going from 250 to 244.

"I can't do much about that number unless I starve myself," he said. "I still have to hit the ball out of the ballpark. I've got to be able to move and carry (my weight). As long as I can do that, I'll be fine."

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