Pirates Infielders Reject Contract Offers

((HT: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/Kovacevic))

The Pirates have pulled back their contract extension offers to Jack Wilson and Freddy Sanchez ((pictured, thanks Chris Creamer/Flickr)) and though they remain open to new negotiations, there was no indication that any are forthcoming.

"That time has come and gone," general manager Neal Huntington said this afternoon of the offers' life span. "They feel like we're awfully light both in years and dollars. In our minds, the conversations are at a standstill."

Neither of the player's agents, Page Odle for Wilson and Paul Cobbe for Sanchez, responded formally to initial offers, though Wilson's rejection was not believed to be nearly as emphatic as Sanchez's. Wilson's was for two years and $8 million, plus a club option for 2012. Sanchez's was for two years and $10 million, plus the voiding of his existing 2010 vesting option that could pay him $8 million.

Huntington, who described the initial offers as "expired," strongly suggested that the next move will not be his.

"If they want to continue dialogue, we're open to it," he said. "If not, we understand. We move forward. No harm, no foul."

And how long might the Pirates' door remain open?

"I think that comes when we trade one or both, which may not happen. We made an offer, and we put a deadline on it, which is something I've done with every offer I've made, whether it's a minor league contract or major league. You can't just leave it out there. We're a little time-sensitive here because of the looming trade deadline."

That is July 31.

"And just because they don't accept doesn't mean they're going to be traded. If we get the right baseball deal, we get the right baseball deal."

Huntington pointed to the lack of counteroffers as pivotal to this point.

"Typically, in a negotiation, you get a counteroffer. That's how conversations continue. We've not gotten that to this point. We felt pretty strongly that our structure was in place but that we were open to some adjustments off it. Not significant adjustments. Not huge differences in years or dollars. But if there was something that added value to the player, we're open to that. In our minds, they're not even interested in the foundation we've laid."

People Perpetually Pissed At Pirates

Understanding the significance of the Pittsburgh Pirates road trip into OSG HQ/Atlanta, we decided to grab the vibe of both dugouts since the Nate McLouth trade to the Braves.

You've heard the story about the lighted candle in the clubhouse where McLouth played cards.

((The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic went into detail about the spot where Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez, and McLouth played regularly...))

"There ain't a guy in here who ain't [ticked] off about it," first baseman Adam LaRoche said. "They might be trying to hide it or whatever, but ... hey, you get a guy's loved by everybody, not just in this clubhouse but in the community, who does everything you could want a guy to do, a perfect guy to be a leader ..."

LaRoche paused.

"It's kind of like being with your platoon in a battle, and guys keep dropping around you. You keep hanging on, hanging on, and you've got to figure: How much longer till you sink?"

You make a deal for a player like that, and you'd better get at least one elite guy in return," one veteran said. "Who's the guy in this trade? Who is that player?"

McLouth added Friday: "It's a new chapter, as I've said, but ... I wanted to win here."

Speed forward a day or so...

SVP and GM Neal Huntington wrote a letter ((or was it typed...???)) to Bucs fans on the Pittsburgh Pirates website trying to 'splain wha-happen...

"I understand why some people at first glance may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision. In fact, our owner Bob Nutting was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade.

((What...? Kinda like the Braves and that "Tom Glavine" fella...?))

"We have said several times that tough decisions will need to be made as we build and sustain a championship caliber organization. The decision to trade Nate was perhaps the most difficult one both personally and professionally that we have made to date. Tough decisions are not always popular. However, we have a singular focus on our goal of building an organization that can consistently compete for championships, not simply finish above .500. The organizational talent level has been vastly improved during the past two years and, as a result, we are a much stronger organization and closer to our ultimate goal."

((uh, sure...))

Which brings us to today and the Pirates visiting Turner Field...

OSG Sports caught up Jack Wilson before the game for an update:

"I've been here for nine years," the veteran said, "and I keep seeing the kids leave. They stay for two or three years and then they're in another dugout."

Nate McLouth talked to OSG and is still coming to grips with the change of address:

"You feel like you're walking out on relationships. But, once you're on the field, things take care of themselves."

Makes you wonder if the two relievers brought their table, candle, and picture of McLouth on the road with them for some sort of closure...

The plot thickens...