-P- The Pirates are pursuing former Nationals starter Tony Armas Jr.. Armas was once a highly-regarded young starter, but I just don't think the upside is there anymore. Regardless, he could be an improvement over any of the internal options.
-P- The Stats Geek offers his take on what the Pirates' lineup should be. I'm not one to fuss much over this sort of thing (at least not until the season starts), but I agree: Jack Wilson should bat eighth.
-P- Hey! A ranking of general managers that doesn't have Dave Littlefield dead last! Congrats on your 27th-place finish, Dave.
-P- Pat finds a new angle to the LaRoche trade. When Littlefield worked for the Marlins, they drafted LaRoche but didn't sign him. Like Pat, I'm wondering why DL continues to pursue the same players he's always pursued.
-P- Here's a BP profile of LaRoche.