Random Trade Stuff, Past & Present

• The Pirates made it pretty clear that they will add to the roster only on their terms. Not only are they holding back Starling Marte and the Three Amigos (Rudy Owens, Jeff Locke, Justin Wilson) at Indy, but the media was told by Neal Huntington that "We don't have to acquire a starting pitcher. We don't have to acquire a bat. We can go pick what we want to get if it's a player or two, or if the acquisition cost is just exorbitantly high we stay with what we have." That's partially due to their "build from within" philosophy, partially due to compensation changes in the new CBA that provide less value for rental players, and partially due to the second wildcard muddying up the marketplace.
• Dejan Kovacevic of the Tribune Review thinks that the FO should get crackin' and bring in an outfielder and pitcher. Pedro Alvarez disagrees, telling the media that “I think we have all the components necessary to be able to succeed and keep succeeding. I think we have the right chemistry and the right group of guys. I just love the dynamic we have with this team.”
• Players aren't the only bangles in play. GM Neal Huntington told Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review he is open to trading the extra 2013 draft pick the team won in the competitive balance lottery. “It’s another asset for us,” he said. “It’s no different than a prospect in our system who we’ve placed a value on.” The pick is the second in the sandwich round of next year's draft.
• The marketplace should begin to firm up soon, though. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports writes that after being swept by the Reds, the Brewers are ready to become sellers. And after this weekend, the Pirates probably added Miami to that list.
• One of their targets will cost an arm and a leg. Buster Olney of ESPN reports that "The Padres have asked the Pirates for a significant package of prospects for Chase Headley, as they have with all teams." JJ Cooper of Baseball America thinks the asking price is a combination of Jameson Taillon and Starling Marte which is indeed significant.
  
• Tom Smith of Rumbunter posted the reasons why the Flyin' Hawaiian Shane Victorino shouldn't be in Black and Gold this summer. It's about performance, not the rental fee. But Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review tweets that the Pirate FO sees it differently; it's about cost, not play.
• Scrub Ryan Dempster from the available arms (not that the Pirates were said to be in on him); Mark Bowman of MLB.com tweets that he's on his way to Atlanta. (Edit - whoops! May be a hang-up per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports)
• You might remember when RHP Edwin Jackson turned down the Pirates' reported 3 year/$30M offer during the off season to sign a one year deal with the Nats. Well, he's leaving Scott Boras now, and will be repped by the Legacy Agency, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. It worked out OK for the Pirates, though - a couple of weeks later they dealt for AJ Burnett, presumably playing with some of the money Jackson left on the table.
• A dark day in history: In 2003, the Pirates pulled the trigger on Dave Littlefield's hugest fire sale, maybe only equaled by the Ralph Kiner giveaway in Pirate annals, when they dumped the salaries of OF Kenny Lofton and 3B Aramis Ramirez, plus cash, to the Chicago Cubs for SS Jose Hernandez, RHP Matt Bruback and 2B Bobby Hill.