Jon Paul Morosi mentions on Twitter that the Pittsburgh Pirates are interested in many bats right now, according to a source. He mentions one name as Omar Infante, a utility player for the Florida Marlins. Infante has a .266/.314/.330 line in 406 at-bats this year, playing second base. In his career he’s played second, third, short, and all three outfield positions. He’s making $2.5 M this year, plus up to $1 M in performance bonuses based on plate appearances. He does project as a Type B free agent, so he could possibly fetch the Pirates a first round comp pick in the 2012 draft. As for his short term value, he doesn’t profile as anything more than a bench option for the Pirates.
We’ve heard that the Pirates also have Jason Kubel as their top target, but that the Twins don’t want to deal their outfielder. The Pirates could make a strong bid for B.J. Upton if Kubel really isn’t available.
UPDATE 3:25 PM: Morosi says that nothing is close with Infante. The Pirates are also close to a deal to acquire Ryan Ludwick.
