Pirates accomplish several goals

12/08/2005
DALLAS -- Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield will head home from the annual Winter Meetings feeling pretty good about what he and his staff were able to accomplish during their four days in Dallas.
Littlefield addressed his top offseason priority by acquiring first baseman Sean Casey for left-handed pitcher Dave Williams. Casey is a .305 career hitter and a three-time All-Star who should add much needed run production to the lineup. Casey, a Pittsburgh native, is also a highly respected clubhouse leader who will be very popular with his teammates and the hometown fans. And although Williams led the Bucs with 10 wins in 2005, he likely would have begun the season as the team's fifth starter.
One day after taking on the majority of Casey's $8.5 million salary for 2006, Littlefield unloaded Mark Redman's $4.5 million salary by sending the veteran southpaw to the Kansas City Royals for right-handed pitching prospect Jonah Bayliss. The move gives the Pirates an additional $12-14 million to spend this offseason on upgrades at third base, right field and on the right side in the bullpen.
Littlefield closed out the meetings with a bang by trading utility man Rob Mackowiak to the Chicago White Sox for southpaw reliever Damaso Marte, releasing Opening Day third baseman Ty Wigginton and plucking veteran right-hander Victor Santos from the Kansas City Royals in the Rule 5 Draft.
Deals done: Acquired 1B Sean Casey and cash from the Cincinnati Reds for LHP Dave Williams. Acquired RHP Jonah Bayliss and RHP Chad Blackwell from the Kansas City Royals for LHP Mark Redman. Acquired LHP Damaso Marte from the Chicago White Sox for INF/OF Rob Mackowiak. Released 3B Ty Wigginton.
Rule 5 activity: Selected RHP Victor Santos from Kansas City with the fourth overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft.
Goals accomplished: The addition of Casey gives the Pirates an accomplished, left-handed hitter in the middle of a mostly inexperienced lineup. The deal also allows 1B Brad Eldred, the organization's top power prospect, to work on his pitch recognition and defense at Triple-A.
Marte, who blossomed into one of the top left-handed setup men in the American League after being traded from the Pirates in 2002, could make John Grabow available on the trade market. Santos will compete for the fifth spot in the starting rotation and could fill in as a swingman in the bullpen.
By moving Redman without having to assume any of his contract, Littlefield still has the payroll flexibility to address the rest of his offseason priorities.
Unfinished business: The departures of Mackowiak and Wigginton leave Freddy Sanchez as the only legitimate option at third base. Right field and the right side of the bullpen remain areas of concern.
Littlefield made 40 to 50 calls per day to GMs, agents and scouts during their stay in Dallas. The groundwork laid should result in additional deals in the coming weeks.
GM's bottom line: "We still have to shore up the right-handed help in the pen, third base and right field. We've got some work to do. But we've certainly made some nice strides and we have some resources to work with, whether it's players or dollars."

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/