Tracy keeps Izturis out of lineup day after trade
Saturday, July 21, 2007
By Dejan Kovacevic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A fan hung a banner from PNC Park's left-field rotunda last night, which read, "We love Jack."
The Pirates' management, it seems, was eager to express a similar sentiment toward Jack Wilson yesterday, fresh off acquiring another shortstop, Cesar Izturis, the previous day.
First, general manager Dave Littlefield phoned Wilson's agent, Page Odle, early in the afternoon to reiterate his public comments that Izturis was added only to bolster the team's infield depth. Usually, Littlefield has assistant general manager Doug Strange make such calls to agents.
Later, manager Jim Tracy gave an impassioned backing of Wilson during his pregame session with reporters.
"Jack's our shortstop," he said.
He then repeated it for emphasis twice more.
And, as if to symbolically take it a step further, Wilson was his starting shortstop and Izturis was on the bench yesterday, even though Izturis can play third base or second base. Matt Kata made his first start at third, and Freddy Sanchez was at second.
"I've got the lineup that I want out there," Tracy continued. "This idea that just because Cesar's in, Jack's out, that's just not the case."
Tracy did not rule out that Wilson could be traded -- "I don't know any of that," he said -- but he fully supported the idea of adding Izturis, partially because it gives the Pirates more resources from which to make potential deals.
"You could make a strong argument that we now have two of the best fielding middle infielders in the National League," he said. "That's just not something you pass up when you have the opportunity to get it at a good price."
The Pirates will pay only $277,000 of Izturis' $4.25 million salary the rest of this season, but they would have to pay him $5.8 million to exercise a 2008 option.
"With all due respect to Don Kelly, we replaced a player who had his first major-league hit this season with one who has a Gold Glove and was an All-Star," Tracy said. "That's a deal you have to make. It's the kind of deal that gets you depth. It gets you into the position where, someday, if needed, you can discuss things with other clubs, you have something to deal from."
He paused.
"And I'm not talking about Cesar and Jack when I say that."
Wilson, surrounded by a dozen reporters at his stall, reiterated his stance from Thursday that he will have little reaction to being on the trading block until he hears it definitively.
"Regardless of what happens in the next 11 days, I just want to help the team win," he said. "Cesar Izturis is one of my favorite players. I collect bats of my favorites, and his is one of the ones on my rack. I'm glad to have him here."
Wilson estimated receiving "like 150" phone calls and text messages Thursday from family, friends, former teammates and the like, all encouraging him to stay positive.
"I'm a baseball player, and I'll keep playing," he said. "Once everybody starts to talk about it, you do think about it. I've talked to my wife, and we've looked at the schedule to see what we have to do if something happens on this or that date."
Asked if he expects to be on the Pirates after the deadline, Wilson replied, "I don't know. We'll see how it plays out."
There remains no clear suitor for Wilson. The only team in Major League Baseball with a winning record that could use an upgrade at shortstop is Boston, which has .218-hitting Julio Lugo. But Lugo is in the first year of a four-year, $35 million deal.
Given that Wilson's contract runs through 2009, a team in need of a shortstop for a longer term could be interested, too. But those types of trades tend to come in the offseason.
Tracy explained Izturis being on the bench as the Pirates "just wanting to see where he is right now" because he barely played for the Chicago Cubs in the past month. He did not say when Izturis might start but strongly suggested he would come off the bench.
"He might spell Jack or someone else one day," Tracy said. "We'll move him around a bit. But we will get him involved."
Izturis donned his new uniform for the first time in the afternoon, that being No. 13. He is the first Pirates player to wear that number since outfielder Adrian Brown in 2002, only the 13th in history.
Izturis restated his satisfaction at joining the Pirates, especially after taking only 13 at-bats in his final 18 games with the Cubs.
"It's a good move for me to come here, I think, because I'll get a good chance," he said. "We'll see what happens down the stretch, but I'm ready to contribute."
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