Day 1 Winter Meetings Report: On Pirates contingency plan at third base, interest in DeRosa

DALLAS -- In the ideal world, Pedro Alvarez would bounce back from his horrible 2011 season by hitting 35 home runs next season and becoming the middle-of-order force the Pirates were expecting when they used the second overall pick in the 2008 draft to select the third baseman.

However, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington has been on the job four years, long enough to realize the world is rarely perfect for his club.