Now inside a week before the July 31 trading deadline, the Pirates remain active in the market to add some more offense, and the acquisition of starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez from Houston on Tuesday could help them in their quest, according to MLB.com's Tom Singer.
General manager Neal Huntington remains on the prowl for a three-dimensional outfielder (bat, glove, legs).
The expectation is that the Rodriguez acquisition set in motion a deal in which another starter would be dealt for the outfielder the Pirates need.
For now, the Pirates Big League rotation is set with Rodriguez, A.J. Burnett, James McDonald, Jeff Karstens and Erik Bedard. Kevin Correia and Brad Lincoln, both pitching out of the bullpen, have been starters at points this season, too, so the club has a bit of a surplus of starting pitching at the moment.
Of course, Correia and Bedard's contracts with the Pirates expire at the end of the season, so Huntington might be reluctant to deal any of the others at the deadline.
The club does have some depth to work with at Triple-A Indianapolis, however. Jeff Locke is 7-5 with a 3.01 ERA, 99 strikeouts and 33 walks. Justin Wilson is 8-4 with a 4.06 ERA and 113 strikeouts against 55 walks.
It's possible Huntington could be willing to deal one of these young arms to get another bat, just as he traded Rudy Owens, 8-5 with a 3.14 ERA and 85 strikeouts against 25 walks, in the Rodriguez deal.
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