[vincesanity82]

Despite wrapping up their 15th straight losing season, the Pirates still have a handful of intriguing players that other teams might be interested. As far as COO Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington are concerned, those teams can have 'em -- or at least that's what they seem to be saying when you read between the lines.

Coonelly described his plans for next year as one for "rebuilding" the roster and "reallocating" assets to focus on developing minor league talent. What does that actually entail? Most likely, trading some of the team's more expensive players for cheap prospects, which means a guy like Jason Bay might be on the move. From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
"I expect there to be a shakeup," he said yesterday. "Simple mathematics will tell you it's not just going to be a non-roster invitee getting moved here or there. It's going to be something that makes a difference in payroll, and I certainly could fall into that category. If it happens, so be it."

Bay was asked if he would prefer to stay.

"Yeah, I've said all along that I'd love to be here when it turns around. It's one thing to just go somewhere to a winner, but it's something else if you do it like the Detroit Tigers did and get to enjoy it."

Will the Pirates Hold a Fire Sale This Winter? - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

[EmpireWF]

MLB Trade Rumors is reading between the lines of the Post-Gazette article and thinks the Pirates may shop Jason Bay this winter.

MLBTR assumes the Pirates would request about two good young players, at least one being a pitcher.

[cwstech]

Originally Posted by EmpireWF

MLB Trade Rumors is reading between the lines of the Post-Gazette article and thinks the Pirates may shop Jason Bay this winter.

MLBTR assumes the Pirates would request about two good young players, at least one being a pitcher.

So I know it's not going to happen with the Cubs being in the same division as the Pirates, but I sure would love to see him running around in Cub's pinstripes with the Ivey as his backdrop next year.

[ThePundit]

They need to improve their pitching. If they need to deal some hitters to do that, then so be it.

[cwstech]

Originally Posted by ThePundit

They need to improve their pitching. If they need to deal some hitters to do that, then so be it.

That's true. Their pitching is horrendous. We'll be glad to trade Steve Trachsel for Jason Bay. Sounds like a great deal to me.

What ever happened to Zach Duke though. He came out in 2005 and did great and has totally dropped off the map. His record has been horrible since that year.

[Lefty Noob]

Trading Bay is an interesting idea. If they can get some really good prospects for him, it might pay off long term. But getting the fans around here to accept that would be a tough proposition. Of all the players on the team, he's the one most people recognize - kind of like the face of the franchise, our Derek Jeter, for lack of a better comparison. Not sure how a Bay-less team would perform, ticket sales wise.