Jerry Crasnick writes that, in addition to Josh Willingham, the Pirates are also kicking the tires on Athletics first baseman / outfielder Conor Jackson.
I wasn't a huge fan of the idea of acquiring Josh Willingham, but at least it does make sense on some level - he is a pretty good hitter. Jackson, though, I don't understand at all. He has a .629 OPS this year, and this isn't a shortstop, it's a corner player. Last year, he had a .663 OPS. It's not even totally clear to me what he's doing in the big leagues, much less as the subject of trade talks.
This isn't the first time the Pirates have been connected to a player who doesn't make any sense. Last week, there were reports that they considered the perfectly-functional Garrett Jones for Angels catcher Jeff Mathis, who arguably doesn't belong in the majors. Then they were connected to Kevin Slowey, who they have no particular use for. Until the Pirates actually try one of these deals, it might be wise to apply a laugh test to trade rumors like this. Pirates GM Neal Huntington isn't an idiot.
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