I just got back from a gig in Middlefield, Ohio, which is in Amish country. Surprisingly, the people there like the rock music. Anyway, I'm home to find a whole bunch of transactions - Littlefield favorites Joel Pineiro and Doug Mientkiewicz have been removed from the market, for starters. Also, the Yankees have traded Randy Johnson for Luis Vizcaino and three minor leaguers who don't, at first glance, appear to be worth a whole lot. There's nothing directly Pirates-related, of course. I'll write a long post about all these moves tomorrow morning or early afternoon when I wake up. The important thing, though, is that the pickings on the free agent market are becoming incredibly slim, so the Pirates are looking ever more likely to address their perceived needs through a trade, if they address them at all.
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