The Pirates reportedly considered offering to buy the Pirates last fall. Penguins owners Ron Burkle and Mario Lemieux reportedly considered making an offer to buy the Pirates, but the ballclub's owner made it clear the baseball team was not, and is not, for sale.

The Pirates plan to honor Bill Mazeroski with a statue outside of PNC Park to commemorate the Hall of Famer's home run that won the World Series 50 years ago. Statues of Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell are already in place outside the stadium.

Top pitching prospect Brad Lincoln could make an impact in Pittsburgh this season. Lincoln missed all of the 2007 season following Tommy John surgery and won the gold medal game for the United States at the World Cup. He's expected to arrive in Pittsburgh after a brief run with Class AAA Indianapolis. "It's been on my mind the whole offseason," Lincoln said. "It's my goal to work my way up and show these guys that I deserve to be there. It's been my dream my whole life, from when I was a kid to the Tommy John to now. And I hope to fulfill it this year." Management's projection is that the one rotation vacancy will come down to Kevin Hart or Daniel McCutchen, but Lincoln has not been ruled out. "I'm going to go in thinking I want to make the team out of the spring," Lincoln said. "I don't want to wait for a midseason call-up. I've put in hours every day, on the field and in the gym, and I'm doing that because I want to show them that's what I deserve."

The Pirates have agreed to a one-year, $3.5 million deal with reliever Octavio Dotel. Pittsburgh is the only team that offered Dotel the chance to be a closer. The contract includes a $4.5 million club option for 2011 with a $250,000 buyout. If Dotel is traded, the option becomes mutual. "Octavio Dotel is an experienced, solid late-inning reliever with quality pitches who will help solidify our bullpen in the closer role," general manager Neal Huntington said.

The Pirates have agreed to a one-year deal with reliever Brendan Donnelly, according to a source. Donnelly will make $1.5 million under the deal. The contract, which is pending completion of a physical, includes performance bonuses that could increase Donnelly's payout to about $3 million.

Lastings Milledge, who is entering his fifth major-league season, arrived this week at the Pirates' final minicamp in excellent shape, trimmer and more muscular. During morning sessions in the batting cage, Milledge attacked the ball. "I know this is going to be an important year," Milledge said Thursday. "I'm expecting a lot out of myself. I've been putting in the work, because I think this year could set up the rest of my career."

The Pirates have reached a preliminary agreement with outfielder Ryan Church on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. The deal could pay him an additional $1.32 million in performance bonuses. The agreement is contingent on Church passing a physical. He hit .273 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 111 games with the Mets and Braves.

The Pirates are in talks with free-agent outfielder Ryan Church. Church is coming off a 2009 season, split between the Mets and Braves, in which he batted .273 with four home runs and 40 RBIs in 111 games. He was non-tendered by Atlanta after making $2.8 million, as he surely would have gotten a raise through the arbitration process.

The Pirates are expected to have top prospect Pedro Alvarez play third base for Class AAA Indianapolis early next season, which would leave another former first-round pick without a position. Neil Walker has a background as a catcher, but has enough athleticism to try the outfield or second base, according to the Post-Gazette. A trade seems highly likely, but management sounds reluctant to trade Walker until he has an offensive breakout.

The Pirates were very interested in free-agent outfielder Rick Ankiel, but that is no longer the case. Agent Scott Boras is selling Ankiel as an everyday player and the Pirates aren't willing to guarantee any free-agent position player a starting job. Ankiel hit .231 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs in 122 games last season.