Alex Rios trade apparently 'close' as Pirates, White Sox negotiate

David Kaplan of CSN Chicago reports that the Pirates and White Sox are "close" on a deal for Alex Rios, and now they're haggling over cash. There's no word on which player(s) would be headed to Chicago.

Rios is a clear upgrade on Jose Tabata and Travis Snider, although tons of players would be. It's pretty much impossible to comment further without knowing what the Pirates are giving up and how much salary they're taking on. Given Rios' inconsistency and questions about his effort, he's not a great deal at $12.5 million next year (plus a $1 million buyout for 2013), so the Pirates really shouldn't be giving up much here.