The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the Pirates will be more aggressive in their pursuit of free agents this offseason. General manager Neal Huntington told the Gazette that he wouldn't rule out anyone in free agency, including some of the recently traded Pirates like Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez.
"We will look into the free-agent market, and we have some money to apply to the right situation," Huntington said yesterday. "We go in not feeling that we have a desperate hole to fill but that, if we can find someone who makes us better in the short and hopefully the long term, we can do that."
Adding a middle infielder should be one of their goals, but the Pirates would probably have to overpay to lure someone like Placido Polanco or Ronnie Belliard to Pittsburgh.
The Pirates currently have Steve Pearce at first base, who is hitting .211 in 51 games. The Pirates still believe Pearce can contribute long term, especially after a solid season in Triple-A where he hit .286 with a .373 on-base percentage and 13 home runs.
If you're a Pirates fan, who do you want to see at first base next season? If you haven't already, you can check out our 2010 MLB Free Agent list to get a better feel for who is available this offseason.