Once figures are exchanged, the next step is a hearing -- those will take place Feb. 1-21 -- before a three-member arbitration panel that chooses one or the other. Those hearings often are contentious.

The number still unsigned is unusually high, locally and nationally: The Pirates exchanged figures with just one player last year, second baseman Freddy Sanchez, and wound up agreeing to a long-term contract. Around the majors, 47 players exchanged figures last year, compared to nearly 100 who remained unsigned last night.

The latter number has led to some sentiment within the industry that players and their agents are reluctant to make the first move in a marketplace that has seen many teams lower payrolls and tighten salary demands because of the national economic downturn. The Pirates' players might not be an exception.

Of those remaining, the only one known to still be discussing a multiyear contract with the Pirates is Maholm. The rest are expected to get the one-year terms standard in this setting.

NOTES -- Starter Jeff Karstens, shut down by minor elbow pain late in minicamp last week in Bradenton, Fla., resumed throwing yesterday as scheduled. ? Reliever Phil Dumatrait, shut down two weeks ago to lingering shoulder pain, is set to resume throwing this afternoon, a day later than expected. ? A total of 13 players whose rights belong to the Pirates were on the 45-man provisional rosters submitted by 16 national teams for the World Baseball Classic yesterday, including three who had been anticipated off the major league roster: pitcher Ian Snell and infielder Ramon Vazquez with Puerto Rico, and utilityman Luis Cruz with Mexico. ? The Pirates signed left-handed reliever Paul Mildren, 24, and catcher Erik Kratz, 28, to minor league contracts. Mildren was added to the Florida Marlins' 40-man roster in 2007 but is coming off a disastrous season in the Toronto Blue Jays' system in which he dropped three levels and finished with a 6.62 ERA.