Steinbrenner wants Benson

As he should. From Dan Graziano's report for the Star-Ledger:

As they survey more realistic options, and are being told to wait on such potentially available arms as Jamie Moyer and Russ Ortiz, Steinbrenner is losing patience, which means they are back in the hunt for Pittsburgh's Kris Benson.

The Yankees' front office isn't high on Benson, a talented right-hander who has a reputation as a bad clubhouse guy and whose wife, Anna, has her own Web site and a habit of calling talk radio stations to complain about criticism of her husband.

But Steinbrenner likes him and could order the front office to get into the hunt. Benson is making $6.1 million in this, the final year of his contract, and the Pirates are so determined to get rid of his contract that they may be willing to accept less in a trade from a team that can afford to pay him.

The criticism of his wife is frivolous and hateful. Obviously she's no distraction to Kris, and we can't start talking like baseball players are so easily distracted by radio call-in shows, regardless of who calls in to rant. If that's the strongest case his detractors can make against the pitcher, the Pirates should have no problem getting what they want for him.