"Your price is too high"

Fox Sports's Ken Rosenthal:

Two executive says that Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield has waited too long to move first baseman/outfielder Craig Wilson and asked for too much in return.

"(Littlefield) had opportunities to trade Wilson earlier in the off-season, but held onto him — even when he had no playing time available — until all possible suitors had filled their needs," one exec says.

None of the teams reportedly interested in Wilson - the Braves, Blue Jays, Padres, Mariners and Indians — appears to be actively pursuing him.

I'm not buying the "he had no playing time available" stuff. I did the math before Spring Training. It is hard to see how Craig Wilson would start often or reach 500 PA as a Pirate, sure, but crazy things happen and plenty of PT will surely fall to the best pinch-hitter and the primary backup at the right corners.

As for Wilson's price, there's nothing "too high" about his salary. He'd be making the same money on any other team. Since I'm confident he'll get plenty of PT as a Pirate, even if Burnitz and Casey stay healthy and productive, I don't agree with folks who say that's too much to play for a bench player. A team can pay the minimum for a utility infielder, sure, since young, inexperienced non-hitting defensive wonders are common enough. A pinch-hitter with power will cost more. Right now the Pirates can afford Wilson, so I don't see the rush or the urgency to deal him.