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Pirates Talk Extensions With Sanchez & Wilson

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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.

Pirates Hope To Deal Adam LaRoche

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The Pirates would like to deal Adam LaRoche and his $7MM salary, but he's only attracting minimal interest, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The 29-year-old first baseman becomes a free agent for the first time after the season. He's hitting .259/.345/.464 with 12 homers so far, better than he usually does in the first half. Over the course of his career, LaRoche's OPS is 129 points higher in the second half.

The Pirates are prepared to continue dealing after July 31st, since some of their players, possibly LaRoche, could clear waivers, allowing them to make more moves.

Sabean: Giants Still Looking For Bats

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Giants GM Brian Sabean told Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News that there are no impact bats available for a reasonable cost. As much as he would like a true middle-of-the-order hitter, Sabean won't deal top prospects like Madison Bumgarner to acquire one.

Sabean says he's not interested in free agents-to-be, which rules out Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Adam Dunn and Garrett Atkins are middle-of-the-order bats who aren't about to hit free agency, but Sabean doesn't want to surrender big prospects to acquire such a hitter. 

Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News points out that Randy Johnson's injury makes Jonathan Sanchez a little less expendable in any possible deals, at least for now.

Trade Candidates: Corner Infielders

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We’ve heard about Garrett Atkins and Aubrey Huff all year, but plenty of other corner infielders could be trade bait, too. Here’s the list of corner infield trade candidates, ranked from highest 2009 salary to lowest:

  • Troy Glaus – The priciest trade candidate on this list has yet to play in 2009. There have been suggestions that the Cards could move Glaus if he can't play third upon his return.
  • Melvin Mora – With a $9MM salary and a no-trade clause, Mora will be tough to move. 
  • Aubrey Huff – He's not hitting as well as he did last year, but has hit well enough. He makes $8MM this year.
  • Adam Dunn – He makes the same amount as Huff, and has $12MM more coming his way in 2010. With 22 homers already, Dunn would be a nice addition a team like the Giants.
  • Adam LaRoche – He earns $7.05MM this year before becoming a free agent.  
  • Garrett Atkins – He'll earn $7.05MM as well, a sum that looks more affordable every day, since Atkins is hitting .306/.386/.468 since the beginning of June.
  • Nick Johnson – An affordable option at $5.5MM, this free agent-to-be has an injury history to go along with his .800 OPS.
  • Chad Tracy – The combination of his $4.75MM salary and .354 slugging percentage won't make him appealing to many teams, if any.
  • Jason Giambi – He earns $4MM this year and his team will have to pay him $1.25MM after the season or take on his $6.5MM salary next year. Giambi's been a disappointment at the plate.
  • Jorge Cantu – The Marlins remain just one game behind the Phillies for the division lead, but there have been hints that they would move Cantu if they fall out of it. He makes $3.5MM this year.  
  • Russell Branyan – The Mariners are just 3.5 games back of the division lead, but Branyan would be an appealing candidate if he hits the market, especially since he makes just $1.4MM this year.  
  • Kevin Kouzmanoff – He makes under $500k this year, but he's hitting poorly and you can't even blame Petco Park, as his OPS is 40 points lower on the road. The Mariners recently had interest.

The Red Sox, Mets, Giants, Reds and Mariners could all look for a boost at one of the corner infield positions.

Giants, Pirates Discussed Sanchez, LaRoche

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From Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

The Pirates and San Francisco have had trade talks regarding second baseman Freddy Sanchez and, to a lesser extent, first baseman Adam LaRoche, each of whom can be a free agent after this season.  The Giants have had a scout following Sanchez, a source confirmed yesterday, and their interest in LaRoche goes back several months. Their preference at first base, though, is for a right-handed bat.

Sanchez sports a .316/.355/.477 line, a huge improvement on the .224/.280/.276 aggregate performance from Giants second basemen (primarily the demoted Emmanuel Burriss, though Juan Uribe has snagged recent starts).  The Giants have a 1.5 game lead for the Wild Card, but their .705 team OPS ranks second-to-last in the NL.  Sanchez's contractual situation will be a factor in the trade talks; an $8.5MM option for 2010 appears likely to vest.  Charlie Manuel's All-Star selections will affect Sanchez's contract – if Sanchez makes the team the option vests with 600 plate appearances rather than 635.  It figures to be between Sanchez and Zach Duke for the Bucs' representative.

Kovacevic adds that the Pirates have discussed Jack Wilson, John Grabow, and Matt Capps with teams, noting that those talks "vary in their intensity."  In another article, Kovacevic digs deeper into the Grabow/Wilson/Sanchez situations.  He believes the Pirates will seek shortstops and left-handed relievers in trades.  I'm guessing the Pirates would find Jonathan Sanchez desirable (he's currently serving as the second lefty in the Giants' pen).

Edes’ Latest: Giants, Teahen, Relievers

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Currently standing atop the National League wildcard standings, the Giants are looking for a lefthanded bat to add to their lineup according to Gordon Edes of Yahoo Sports. He cites a major league executive who says that San Francisco has focused their efforts on three first baseman: Nick Johnson, Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche. Edes also says that the Giants have spoken to the Padres about a potential Jonathan Sanchez–Scott Hairston swap.

Let's round up the rest of Edes' rumors…

  • Royals GM Dayton Moore has heard from multiple teams about Mark Teahen, including the Red Sox, Cubs, Angels and Giants.
  • The Braves "might be inclined to take a look at" Jose Guillen. The Royals would love to discuss Yunel Escobar.
  • We've heard this before, but if Boston moves a reliever, it will most likely be Takashi Saito.
  • Padres' closer Heath Bell may command the most attention amongst relievers.
  • The Astros are likely to hold on to LaTroy Hawkins and Jose Valverde, barring a collapse before the trade deadline.
  • The Blue Jays would love to move BJ Ryan, but are more likely to see interest in Jason Frasor and Scott Downs.
  • Bronson Arroyo is back on the trade block.

Odds And Ends: Reds, LaRoche, Francoeur

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More links for the afternoon…

Pirates Rumors: Snell, LaRoche, Grabow

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John Perrotto of PiratesReport.com provides more detail on the Ian Snell rumors and adds a couple new ones in his latest article:

  • The Rockies could have interest in Snell and the Pirates would be looking to get a "decent prospect" in return, despite Snell's tendency to blame others and his poor start to the season.
  • Colorado "figures to make a play for him."  
  • The Giants have interest in Adam LaRoche. 
  • The Angels are interested in John Grabow, now that they can't count on Scot Shields or Jose Arredondo.

Who Goes In A Pittsburgh Firesale?

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With Nate McLouth now playing in Atlanta, a number of still-Pirates vented about the decision. Coincidentally, the two players quoted, Freddy Sanchez and Adam LaRoche, are likely to be prime targets for Pittsburgh to deal.

Sanchez is a middle infielder having a typical Freddy Sanchez season: .321/.359/.488, with below-average defense at second base. A number of teams should be interested in Sanchez, and in his age-31 season, Sanchez isn't likely to be part of the next great Pirates' team. He's scheduled to make $6.1MM in 2009, with an $8MM option for 2010 that vests if he reaches 635 plate appearances.

As for LaRoche, a 29-year-old who can hit pretty well and play first base, he's also likely to be shown the door. LaRoche is making $7.05MM in 2009, and teams that acquire him have the advantage of getting the second-half LaRoche. LaRoche is a career .776 OPS hitter in the first half, but .907 OPS in the second half.

While he didn't vent in the linked article, Jack Wilson could also be on the move. Not only does he make $7.25MM, he's also in his age-31 season. However, his .264/.291/.380 line — even with solid defense at shortstop — means the haul Pittsburgh gets for Wilson could be limited.

Odds And Ends: Oswalt, Pirates, Glavine

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More links for Thursday afternoon as we wait for Randy Johnson to take his first crack at the 300-win plateau …

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