West Coast Waiting Room

-- Garrett Jones could be around for awhile if he keeps raking, even though he's 28. It's his second season in the bigs, but his service time will be less than a year since both gigs were mid-season call-ups.

The Pirates will have him under team control through 2014; Jones isn't arbitration-eligible until 2012. That makes him a very affordable piece of the puzzle the suits are fitting together as either a regular player or another shiny bauble to dangle as trade bait down the road.

-- Freddy Sanchez is in a deep, dark funk. He went 0-for-20 last week, dropping his average from .311 to .296, and struck out nine times in the past five games. In late May, he suffered through a 6-for-40 stretch, breaking out with a six hit game against the Cubs.

-- Ian Snell lasted five innings in his start with AAAA Indianapolis on Sunday. Snell allowed two earned runs on nine hits. He walked one and struck out four. He now has a 0.96 ERA in six starts with the Indians. Several teams are supposed to be looking at him, notably the Yankees, but the offers have all been low-balled for his services.

-- His brother demotee, Tom Gorzelanny (4-3, 2.46), has been on fire over his last eight starts as he has posted a 3-2 record, 1.00 ERA (5 ER in 45-1/3 innings), and 47 strikeouts. He hasn't allowed more than a single earned run in any of those eight outings.

He's probably a September call-up because of service time issues unless he gets dealt, and even that's iffy. The suits could risk him becoming a "Super Two" player, eligible for four years of arbitration instead of three if they time it wrong. You qualify by finishing in the top 17% of guys with 2-3 years of service time.

-- The beat writers mention some interest in Robby Diaz, too, particularly Detroit, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Post Gazette, who has the rumors wrapped up in one article.

GW is actually surprised his name hasn't come up more often. Catchers with a stick are worth something, even in this market.

The Tiger bird dogs have been watching Pittsburgh closely, and they need a laundry list of players. Just wonderin' if a multi-player deal could be in the works?

-- Pitching for short-season State College, Phil Dumatrait allowed four runs (two earned) on five hits while striking out four and walking none in his second rehab start (the first was with the GCL Bradenton Pirates). Dumatrait is set to now join AA Altoona.

-- Twins starter Kevin Slowey of Upper St. Clair will have surgery on his injured right wrist and will likely miss the remainder of the season. He was 10-3.

-- Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports that Pete Rose may get back in the good graces of baseball. Bud Selig's conditions for any reinstatement would include another public apology and a prohibition from managing.

If Selig does reinstate him, Rose would become eligible for the Hall of Fame, but on the Veterans Committee ballot, as his 15 years on the Baseball Writers ballot expired. He would have to be elected by the 65 living members of the Hall of Fame.