Freddy Sanchez Could be the Next Pirate Shipped Out of Pittsburgh

by Pat LackeyFiled under: Pirates, NL Central, MLB RumorsWith two trades already under his belt, it's clear that Pirates' GM Neal Huntington is intent on setting the trade market this year, rather than waiting for it to be set by someone else. With Nate McLouth and Nyjer Morgan already shipped elsewhere, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Dejan Kovacevic is reporting today that the Pirates' are now "pushing" for a trade of their only 2009 All-Star, second baseman Freddy Sanchez. Sanchez is in the midst of a nice bounceback season after a shoulder injury ruined most of last year for him. He's currently hiting .315/.355/.477 with 25 doubles and six homers, looking much more like the National League's 2006 batting champ than the player that hit .271/.298/.371 last year. The biggest obstacle to a deal right now is probably the $8 million vesting option for 2010 that would make him a pricey acquistion if he gets to 600 plate appearances this year, something h...