SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington knows the drill: He arrives at the annual MLB general managers' meetings in November, and someone inevitably wants an update on the latest Pittsburgh veteran who might be on his way out of town.
A year ago, second baseman Neil Walker and closer Mark Melancon were sufficiently close to free agency to engender speculation. And in each case, the buzz ultimately came to fruition.
In December, the Pirates traded Walker, a fan favorite and hometown boy, to the Mets for pitcher Jon Niese.