Pirates general manager Neal Huntington tried to explain his rationale for trading outfielder Nate McLouth in an e-mail to season-ticket holders. Huntington claims in the letter that the trade, in which Pittsburgh received three prospects from Atlanta, wasn't financially motivated. "I understand why some people, at first glance, may believe this move was financially motivated, but I can assure you that this was strictly a baseball decision," Huntington wrote. "In fact, our owner, Bob Nutting, was as surprised as some of our fans when we sought his approval for this trade. I am grateful that he has the faith in me, our baseball operations staff and the processes we have in place to approve a move like this, despite the risk of public backlash on him personally and the organization as a whole."