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The Pirates are engaged in trade talks with Detroit in an attempt to acquire right-handed starter Chad Durbin. Durbin, 30, was 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA last season, one in which he won a spot in the Tigers' rotation in the spring because of an injury to Kenny Rogers, then moved in and out while winding up with 19 starts. It is not known what the Pirates might give up in a deal for Durbin, but he does fit their profile of having a low cost and possible upside: He made $385,000 last season and will be arbitration-eligible for the first time in 2008, and he finally broke through for a full season of Major League Baseball after seven years of mostly hitting his head on the Class AAA ceiling. The Pirates also were approached by Detroit regarding Tigers third baseman Brandon Inge and outfielder Marcus Thames, but Inge quickly was ruled out by management as too costly -- he is owed $19.1 million over the next three years -- and the Thames discussion apparently went nowhere, too. -- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pirates, Tigers talk about pitcher Durbin