The Dave Littlefield translator

Dave Littlefield has been notably quiet this off-season. Granted, most GMs save their big moves for the Winter Meetings in early December, not the GM meetings in November, but everyone likes to make a little bit of noise before then. DL gave an interview to Pirates.com yesterday, which I will attempt to translate into common English.

Dave says: We're just getting started with the whole process and you know it's something you've got to keep a handle on what's going on in a lot of different areas. We're probably more in the trade market than we are the free-agent market, but there's a couple of areas we'd like to fill whether it be trade or free agent.
Dave means: Even if the owners had given me money to spend this winter I'd have to pay at least 3 times market value to get anyone of any worth to come play for a team run by me and Jim Tracy. Accordingly, we will aim for the trade market where the players can't get away.

Dave says: We'd like to get a left-handed bat to help us at either first or right field and to give us a little more balance in the order, and probably another right-handed starter to give us a little more depth in the rotation.
Dave means: Well, the bloggers seemed to think this was a good idea, so let's run with it. I don't know what they think is wrong with Xavier Nady though, I love that guy. He's got tons of intangibles and he's handsome to boot!

Dave says: I'd say probably trade. We've got a lot of young players and for the first time in a while it's good to hear we've got quite a bit of interest in some of our young players. Some of those we'd like to keep -- you don't want to fill a need and create a void somewhere else -- and those are the decisions you have to make, but I think we're probably more trade-oriented in that regard. But maybe to a lower degree, some free agents in some secondary areas of need, we might [go that route].
Dave means: No, seriously, no one will play here so I'm just going to trade Paul Maholm for whatever we can get for him. And maybe Craig Wilson. Wait. Shit. I meant Kip We... damn. I traded away all my organizational scapegoats. I mean, umm, that Jose Castillo sure is lazy, let's trade him. Unless Ryan Klesko is available. Drools.

Jim Molony writes: Littlefield won't reveal the free agents he's targeted and cannot discuss possible trades due to tampering rules.
Jim Molony means: Littlefield hasn't targeted any free agents and has no potential trades on the table.

Jim Molony writes: The Pirates have specific needs to fill and roughly $12 million to spend.
WHYGAVS says: Hold on one second. If we take last year's payroll and subtract Burnitz, Randa, Hernandez, Casey, CWilson, and Wells, that puts us at like... $25 million. Bay will get a raise from his contract and Gonzo and Freddy will get ones through arbitration, but $12 million still almost certainly puts us below what we were at last year. This is bullshit.