/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/30266953/20140308_kkt_sv7_644.0.jpg)
The Pirates are "shopping" Jose Tabata, Rob Biertempfel reports.
#Pirates shopping RF Jose Tabata. Will be interesting to see if there are any takers with three years, $12.25M left on contract.
This is a little out-of-nowhere, since the Pirates need Tabata for the first couple months of the season, and since $12.25 million over three years shouldn't be a problem for them even if Tabata isn't a starter after that. Tabata trade rumors might make more sense a couple months from now, when Gregory Polanco comes up. But if they can get something nice for Tabata now, then they could certainly consider making a deal. Travis Snider might be a trade candidate as well.
Biertempfel also tweets that Vin Mazzaro will likely be the "odd man out" in the Bucs' bullpen, so they'll field offers on him as well. That's a little less surprising, since a trade to relieve the logjam of out-of-options relievers (which includes Mazzaro) seemed like a clear possibility. If Mazzaro is the odd man out, that means Bryan Morris and Jeanmar Gomez are likely to make the team.