Buster Olney reports that the Pirates are close to a two-year, $4 million deal with utility infielder Ramon Vazquez. Vazquez can handle all four infield positions, and he's coming off a career year with the Rangers in which he posted a .365 OBP and a .430 slugging percentage. His home park helped him with those numbers, but he still managed a .750 OPS on the road. He did, however, have an unsustainably high .349 BABIP.
Vazquez should be useful, if uninspiring. He's a lefty batter and he hits righties pretty well, so he should be able to spell Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson (if they're both still Pirates) against tough righties. He doesn't hit well, but he has a decent batting eye, and for a utility infielder, that's good enough.