Dejan Kovacevic talked to free agent first baseman Doug Mientkiewicz recently. Mientkiewicz seeks a starting job, even while admitting, "I’m everybody’s B and C plan. If the two guys they want to sign get hit by a truck, then they think about me."
The 34 year-old hit .277/.374/.379 in 334 plate appearances while playing an above average first base. He earned $1.075MM. The Pirates want him back, but in a utility/clubhouse leader type role. Pirates president Frank Coonelly said today, "We are working hard to convince Doug that returning to the Pirates is an outstanding opportunity for him." Out of gratitude to GM Neal Huntington for giving him a shot this year, Mientkiewicz will give the Pirates a call before he signs anywhere else.
Kovacevic also has an update on the Jack Wilson trade talks. He says the Bucs are focused on the Dodgers, seeking Chin-Lung Hu and Delwyn Young. Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier today that the Dodgers’ talks for Wilson "remain stalled," while John Perrotto said L.A. "backed off."
