Sources: Pirates Talks With Padres Dead (UPDATE)

We heard earlier talks with the Padres had broken off on Paul Maholm...

Now we might know why...

This would suggest that Maholm talks with San Diego aren't completely dead yet, just being put on hiatus until the Westbrook/Ludwick deal gets done. That said, the Padres could be in a one-or-the-other situation with Maholm and Ludwick, so this could be the end of the line.

In other news, the Dodgers and Cubs continue to get closer on a Ted Lilly deal.

At this point, a Maholm trade to one of these NL West teams is looking more and more unlikely.

UPDATE 12:31 PM:  Jayson Stark says Maholm deals pretty close to dead.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Despite all those Paul Maholm rumors Friday, the only player the Pirates were really pushing to move as the deadline approached was closer Octavio Dotel. They asked teams that called on Maholm for multiple high-end prospects. And indications Saturday were that the two most interested teams -- the Padres and Dodgers -- had backed off. So Maholm and other Pirates in the rumor bin -- Evan Meek, Joel Hanrahan and Garrett Jones -- look to be entrenched in western Pennsylvania as 4 p.m. nears.