Trade Buzz: Pirates intend to build around Hanrahan, Meek

The Pittsburgh Pirates enter the 2010 non-waiver trade deadline with their eye on building a competitive team beyond 2011.

Despite significant interest league wide in reliever Joel Hanrahan and All-Star Evan Meek, the Pirates have full intentions of keeping both. Of the two, Hanrahan is the most coveted but league executives say the Pirates won’t move him.

The plan for the Pirates is to entrench Hanrahan as the team’s closer after the trade deadline, a role the Pirates envision Hanrahan holding down for the next two-to-three years.

The intention is to build their bullpen around Hanrahan, Meek and find veterans like they did this past off-season on a yearly basis.

With the motive to move Hanrahan into the team’s closer role, the Pirates are fully expected to trade Octavio Dotel.

Although the Pirates publicly say they’re not shopping Dotel, the team has begun engaging in trade discussions with interested teams. Up to six teams have made inquiries, including the Red Sox, Mets, Yankees, Tigers and Rockies.

The Pirates are fully expected to move at least two of their three available relievers; D.J. Carrasco, Javier Lopez and Octavio Dotel.

The Tigers, Yankees and Red Sox have expressed interest in Lopez. The Reds and White Sox are among 4-to-5 teams to express some kind of interest in Carrasco.