Pirates negotiating to play 1-2 games in Puerto Rico next season

The Pirates, the Marlins and MLB are discussing the possibility that the two teams could play one or two games in Puerto Rico next season, Rob Biertempfel reports. The game or games would come from the Marlins' home slate, so the Pirates would play their usual 81 games at PNC Park. I assume the game would probably be near the beginning of the season, before it gets too hot in Puerto Rico.

Pirates franchise icon Roberto Clemente is from Puerto Rico, of course, and is also an icon there, so if MLB wants to host games in Puerto Rico, the Bucs are a natural fit to send there. Biertempfel notes that the Pirates played in San Juan in 2004, when the Expos were playing several series there. I only faintly remember that, but this recap (which is a real time capsule, as you'd expect) of one of the games notes that Clemente's No. 21 was retired there before the game and that Vera Clemente threw the first pitch.