The Sunday update

Lots of stuff going on today. Dejan logs his first Hot Stove Report, which isn't much of a hot stove report at all because it deals mostly with Yurendell DeCaster and the massive strides he's made to earn a spot on the 40-man this year. He also touches on the work Perez will do in the Mexican league this winter (30-35 innings) before the World Baseball Classic (he's pitching for Mexico). It would appear that everyone's injury rehab is going well, Burnett and Van Benschoten may throw at the January mini-camp, Castillo and Duffy should be ready for camp. Of course the injuries that aren't going well, like Bullington's, were failed to be mentioned. There was also this:

Reliever Rick White, the lone surprise of the four veterans the Pirates cut loose last month, said he believes he is a few days away from signing with the New York Yankees or Boston Red Sox. White said Pirates general manager Dave Littlefield's lone offer to return was for the same terms as last year, a minor-league invitation and a $475,000 salary if he makes the 25-man roster. "They basically blew me off," White said.

That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

The second item today was about the Pirates actually having money to spend this offseason. Dejan talks about how we contact Brian Giles agent and were basically told to do something rude to ourselves that starts with the letter "F" because Brian wants to play for a contender. Dejan also repeats the believed interest the Pirates interest in Nomar (good) and Jacque Jones (bad). Dejan believes Littlefield and McClatchy are very serious about spending money this offseason unlike the last when $4 million went unspent when Jeromy Burnitz signed elsewhere. The problem, of course, is getting people to want to come here. As I previously mentioned, the Orioles and Indians are already interested in Nomar and with Fucal signing in LA you can probably add the Braves to that list. That's how free agents that should make around $5 million a year end up making $8-10 million. And how teams like the Pirates get hurt in the long run.