It looked like the Pirates might trade Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson away this month, but Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette says the team wants to keep its double play combination together for years. The Pirates approached Sanchez and Wilson, who are close friends, about extending their current deals.
It appears unlikely that one of the two would sign an extension without the other. The timeline for the deals is short, since the Pirates will need time to shop the pair if they don't extend them.
Both players sound excited about deals that would keep them in Pittsburgh for years. Wilson's current contract guarantees him $7.4MM this season, and the Pirates have the option of paying him more next year or buying him out for $600k. Wilson, 31, said he's open to taking a paycut.
Sanchez will likely see his $8MM option vest next year, but he's open to restructuring it.
GM Neal Huntington says he's not looking to trade all his players, but is "more open" to dealing impending free agents. He doesn't mention John Grabow and Adam LaRoche by name, but both are set to become free agents after the season. The Pirates are discussing Ian Snell with other teams.
