We're less than 48 hours away from the MLB trading deadline now, and Pirates trade rumors are beginning to get a little whacky. KDKA producer Mike Vukovcan has this one, right out of left field.
%20#C0DEED;padding:20px;%7D%20p.bbpTweet%7Bbackground:#fff;padding:10px%2012px%2010px%2012px;margin:0;min-height:48px;color:#000;font-size:18px%20!important;line-height:22px;-moz-border-radius:5px;-webkit-border-radius:5px%7D%20p.bbpTweet%20span.metadata%7Bdisplay:block;width:100%;clear:both;margin-top:8px;padding-top:12px;height:40px;border-top:1px%20solid%20#fff;border-top:1px%20solid%20#e6e6e6%7D%20p.bbpTweet%20span.metadata%20span.author%7Bline-height:19px%7D%20p.bbpTweet%20span.metadata%20span.author%20img%7Bfloat:left;margin:0%207px%200%200px;width:38px;height:38px%7D%20p.bbpTweet%20a:hover%7Btext-decoration:underline%7Dp.bbpTweet%20span.timestamp%7Bfont-size:12px;display:block%7D</style>%20<div%20class='bbpBox97044382095638528'><p%20class='bbpTweet'>Here's%20a%20rumor%20I%20hadn't%20heard%20before.......Pirates%20having%20interest%20in%20Houston%20OF%20Carlos%20Lee......Stay%20Tuned!<span%20class='timestamp'><a%20title='Fri%20Jul%2029%2020:42:38%20+0000%202011'%20href='http://twitter.com/#!/mikevukkdka/status/97044382095638528'>less%20than%20a%20minute%20ago</a>%20via%20web%20<a%20href='http://twitter.com/intent/favorite?tweet_id=97044382095638528'><img%20src=){kind=link}
Here's a rumor I hadn't heard before.......Pirates having interest in Houston OF Carlos Lee......Stay Tuned!less than a minute ago via web 
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mike vukovcan
mikevukkdka
Lee, 35, was once among the most feared hitters in the National League but his numbers have gone south the last couple of years. In 2010, he posted just a .708 OPS in 157 games with the Astros, and though he's rebounded for a solid .777 number with 10 home runs this season, his $18.5 million salary due in 2012 would appear to be a non-starter for the typically frugal Pirates.
His numbers are good enough to be a solid upgrade on either Lyle Overbay at first base or the platoon in right field, but at that gigantic salary number, the Pirates would be silly to take him on over cheaper options with similar production numbers. The guess here is the Astros would have to pay a large chunk of that salary for the Pirates to even consider moving on Lee by the deadline.
The Pirates are desperate for bats, but $18.5 million in 2012 desperate? I find that kind of hard to believe.