Last week we heard that the Pittsburgh Pirates were one of 11 teams interested in relief pitcher Brian Fuentes. Today, Rob Biertempfel updates us that the Pirates are no longer pursuing Fuentes due to the cost. It’s believed that the left handed reliever is looking for Scott Downs type money, around three years and $15 M.
The Pirates have been looking at a few high priced relievers this off-season, such as Octavio Dotel, Kevin Gregg, and Fuentes. That raises the question as to whether they are looking to add someone for the closer role, pushing Joel Hanrahan or Evan Meek to the set up roles. In my look at the 2011 bullpen this past week, I noted that the Pirates have room to add one or two relievers to the bullpen. One of those could be a closer option, and they could also add a left handed reliever or two, although the availability of left handers on the market is shrinking.
