...Which might explain the Kris Benson trade, the Rule 5 mess and the Randall Simon acquisitions. That Wells will turn your brain to swiss cheese.
Dave Littlefield talks up Kip Wells as a guy who has "done it," which I thought stopped being noteworthy after high school, and Ken Rosenthal says the Pirates should see if the Bucs' new coaches can figure Wells out. I'm not sure what to think here; let's say Jims Tracy and Colborn do fix Wells. Most teams don't start the trading season in earnest until at least June, and by that point Wells would be just a three-month rental, since 2006 is his last arbitration season. He might have more value now, even though he's a mess, because his new team would have him for the entire year. Also, trading him now would free a rotation spot for a younger player and free up salary, which could theoretically do something other than pay a crappy veteran or line Ogden Nutting's pockets. This seems like a situation where the Pirates should be flexible.