Trade Rumor on Craig Wilson

[StlCards4ever515]

The dots are there to be connected, the matches to be made. One team has an outfielder-first baseman who is going to be a free agent and has been squeezed out of an everyday role. The other has an injured first baseman and at-bats to be won in the outfield.

The tea leaves for a trade are obvious.

"Or the Tarot cards," Pirates outfielder Craig Wilson said. "Or looking into that old crystal ball. Whichever."

Wilson, 29, has been linked often to the Cardinals in recent reports out of Pittsburgh, one paper even going so far as to say this week's series would grease a transaction. Multiple baseball sources said the Cardinals have not actively pursued the outfielder-first baseman. Cards general manager Walt Jocketty said Tuesday that he has "never had contact with Pittsburgh about Craig Wilson."

"We've had no conversations at this point," he said from the team's spring training facility in Florida.

Jocketty told the Post-Dispatch last week that the injury to Albert Pujols probably would "expedite something," referring to his search for a suitable trade. Wilson, in some ways, fits the profile of the player the Cardinals seek, thus fueling the rumor mill.

A righthanded hitter batting .271 with nine home runs in 59 games, Wilson can play first and the outfield.

Since Sean Casey's return from the disabled list, Wilson has been shuttled into a shared position in the outfield. Not in a strict platoon with Jeromy Burnitz, Wilson started in right field Tuesday because he was hitting .294 against Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter.

"I've seen guys here who have been traded 40 times through the press, but still have the uniform on their back," Wilson said. "Then there are the guys you never suspect are going to be traded and the next thing you know they are dealt. ... Until something happens, I'm a Bucco."

Pittsburgh general manager David Littlefield declined to confirm or deny reports of shopping Wilson or any contact with the Cardinals.

He did say as one of the younger clubs in the league, Pittsburgh has its eye on adding major-league ready players - either those with "low service time" or "very close to the big leagues."

Littlefield added, "We're talking to a lot of different teams. There are some situations with certain players that may be the ones we pursue. Obviously the other teams are looking at our players."

Wilson, who is making $3.3 million this year, went through a similar round of reports during spring training.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/spo...4?OpenDocument

[Dry1313]

If that's your own writing, it's pretty good.