The Pirates and Astros are near a deal for Houston left-hander Wandy Rodriguez, Tom Singer of MLB.com reported Tuesday night. Danny Knobler confirmed the report.
The teams have not yet reached a tentative deal but the Pirates have pulled out of other discussions centering on left-handed starting pitching. Singer says there isn't an announcement expected Tuesday but Rodriguez may already have taken his physical as of this posting.
Rodriguez has a 3.79 ERA on the season, his worst since 2007, and his 6.1 K/9 is his lowest since his rookie year. Perhaps appealing to a team as young as Pittsburgh, Rodriguez is signed through 2013 at $13 million with an option for the 2014 season at the same cost, with a $2.5 million buyout.
The Pirates were also rumored to be in on left-handed starters Francisco Liriano and Paul Maholm.
