Piratesdaily.com | Pittsburgh Pirates News, pirates Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>With Rocco Baldelli lost, the Pirates will continue to seek outside options -- free agency or a trade -- for their coveted right-handed, power-hitting outfielder, general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday. </div>But he also stressed that they could try an internal option. "Steve Pearce is a viable option, and he has been from day one," Huntington said. Pearce, 25, was named minor league player of the year in 2007 by two national publications after batting .333 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs across three levels, then concluding his summer in Pittsburgh. But he never found traction last season, batting .251 with 12 home runs in 103 games for Class AAA Indianapolis, then .248 with four home runs the rest of the way for the Pirates. That has prompted management to view Pearce's best path as one in which he plays regularly in Indianapolis to address a lack of selectivity at the plate and subpar defense. That scenario leaves Nyjer Morgan as a regular outfielder, alongside Nate McLouth and Brandon Moss. But, according to Huntington, that view could change if Pearce has an encouraging spring, including using him off the bench. "We like Steve and feel like he can be a good big leaguer, but there's still some development left despite his age," Huntington said. "We didn't want to have him sitting on the bench if we could find a legitimate option to do that at the major league level. It's possible Pearce could be that legitimate option." Baldelli formally was crossed off that list yesterday when he agreed to terms with the Boston Red Sox on a one-year, incentive-laden deal that represents a clear concession to lingering concerns about his health: His base pay will be $500,000, although that salary will rise to $2.25 million if he stays off the disabled list all season. He can achieve another $3 million in bonuses based on plate appearances, kicking in at 325 and topping out at 600. Plate appearances will not be easy to find with Boston, which has an outfield of Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew, along with David Ortiz at designated-hitter. But Baldelli made a priority of staying in the American League after six seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, in part because the DH gives him a fallback if his chronic condition -- one that causes his muscles to weaken easily -- prevents him from taking the field. And he welcomed playing near his native Cumberland, R.I. The Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies -- all National League teams -- were the other finalists. Details of the Pirates' final offer are not known, except that their base pay would have been higher than what Baldelli accepted from Boston. Huntington's outside options might not be as attractive as Baldelli, a five-tool talent when healthy, but some exist. The Pirates have had trade talks with the New York Yankees regarding switch-hitting outfielder Nick Swisher, one high-level source said yesterday. But the Pirates are seen by the source as no more than a long shot to complete such a deal, partly because Swisher is owed $21 million the next three years and is coming off a down season with a .219 average, 24 home runs and 69 RBIs. Moreover, the Yankees are seeking pitching, the Pirates' most precious commodity. The Yankees also are shopping Xavier Nady, just a half-year after acquiring him from the Pirates, but do not expect his return to Pittsburgh: Although there have been cursory talks between the teams about Nady, according to the source, the Yankees never could get back as much as they gave up for Nady and reliever Damaso Marte in that July 26 trade -- outfield prospect Jose Tabata and starting pitchers Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen -- and that could make for an awkward scene. On a free-agency front that is getting increasingly thin on right-handed, power-hitting outfielders, Huntington said the Pirates are looking at players in the comeback mold. "There still are a couple guys out there who might not have had a great 2008 but are still major league caliber players, and maybe we can get a bounce-back year," he said. "And you know what? If the right guy out there is left-handed, we absolutely can go in that direction, too." The remaining free agents who fit that bounce-back profile are Emil Brown, who batted .244 with 13 home runs for the Oakland Athletics; Craig Monroe, who batted .202 with eight home runs for the Minnesota Twins; and Jonny Gomes, who batted .182 with eight home runs for Tampa Bay.

With Rocco Baldelli lost, the Pirates will continue to seek outside options -- free agency or a trade -- for their coveted right-handed, power-hitting outfielder, general manager Neal Huntington said yesterday.

But he also stressed that they could try an internal option.

"Steve Pearce is a viable option, and he has been from day one," Huntington said.

Pearce, 25, was named minor league player of the year in 2007 by two national publications after batting .333 with 31 home runs and 113 RBIs across three levels, then concluding his summer in Pittsburgh. But he never found traction last season, batting .251 with 12 home runs in 103 games for Class AAA Indianapolis, then .248 with four home runs the rest of the way for the Pirates.

That has prompted management to view Pearce's best path as one in which he plays regularly in Indianapolis to address a lack of selectivity at the plate and subpar defense. That scenario leaves Nyjer Morgan as a regular outfielder, alongside Nate McLouth and Brandon Moss.

But, according to Huntington, that view could change if Pearce has an encouraging spring, including using him off the bench.

"We like Steve and feel like he can be a good big leaguer, but there's still some development left despite his age," Huntington said. "We didn't want to have him sitting on the bench if we could find a legitimate option to do that at the major league level. It's possible Pearce could be that legitimate option."

Baldelli formally was crossed off that list yesterday when he agreed to terms with the Boston Red Sox on a one-year, incentive-laden deal that represents a clear concession to lingering concerns about his health: His base pay will be $500,000, although that salary will rise to $2.25 million if he stays off the disabled list all season. He can achieve another $3 million in bonuses based on plate appearances, kicking in at 325 and topping out at 600.

Plate appearances will not be easy to find with Boston, which has an outfield of Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew, along with David Ortiz at designated-hitter. But Baldelli made a priority of staying in the American League after six seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays, in part because the DH gives him a fallback if his chronic condition -- one that causes his muscles to weaken easily -- prevents him from taking the field. And he welcomed playing near his native Cumberland, R.I.

The Pirates, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies -- all National League teams -- were the other finalists.

Details of the Pirates' final offer are not known, except that their base pay would have been higher than what Baldelli accepted from Boston.

Huntington's outside options might not be as attractive as Baldelli, a five-tool talent when healthy, but some exist.

The Pirates have had trade talks with the New York Yankees regarding switch-hitting outfielder Nick Swisher, one high-level source said yesterday. But the Pirates are seen by the source as no more than a long shot to complete such a deal, partly because Swisher is owed $21 million the next three years and is coming off a down season with a .219 average, 24 home runs and 69 RBIs. Moreover, the Yankees are seeking pitching, the Pirates' most precious commodity.

The Yankees also are shopping Xavier Nady, just a half-year after acquiring him from the Pirates, but do not expect his return to Pittsburgh: Although there have been cursory talks between the teams about Nady, according to the source, the Yankees never could get back as much as they gave up for Nady and reliever Damaso Marte in that July 26 trade -- outfield prospect Jose Tabata and starting pitchers Jeff Karstens, Ross Ohlendorf and Daniel McCutchen -- and that could make for an awkward scene.

On a free-agency front that is getting increasingly thin on right-handed, power-hitting outfielders, Huntington said the Pirates are looking at players in the comeback mold.

"There still are a couple guys out there who might not have had a great 2008 but are still major league caliber players, and maybe we can get a bounce-back year," he said. "And you know what? If the right guy out there is left-handed, we absolutely can go in that direction, too."

The remaining free agents who fit that bounce-back profile are Emil Brown, who batted .244 with 13 home runs for the Oakland Athletics; Craig Monroe, who batted .202 with eight home runs for the Minnesota Twins; and Jonny Gomes, who batted .182 with eight home runs for Tampa Bay.