Pittsburgh Pirates Picked the Wrong Time to Try to Re-Sign Sanchez (and Wilson)

In all fairness, the Pirates' new management had a tough job, coming into 2008, with major "leaks" in the organization, and key players about to obtain free agency and leave. Not surprisingly, they have often been one step behind where they needed to be. Under the circumstances, they are more to be applauded for their recent "learning" than faulted for their earlier miscues. The biggest mistake was not trying to re-sign Jason Bay last year, when he protested that he wanted to stay in Pittsburgh. One of three things would have happened: 1) Bay would have been re-signed, thereby providing an "example" to Sanchez and Wilson, or 2) More likely, he would have declined, but management would have learned a valuable lesson then that might have helped them re-sign Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson. And 3) If Bay wanted to be traded, maybe he should have been the one to be shipped off to Atlanta for the three prospects, so we could keep at least keep Nate McLout...