The Pirates had seemed to reverse course for the second time this year.

First, it seemed they were building a team by signing left-hander Paul Maholm, catcher Ryan Doumit and center fielder Nate McLouth to three-year contracts over the winter, avoiding salary arbitration hearings with all three.

Then it seemed the Pirates were tearing their team apart last month when they traded McLouth and left fielder Nyjer Morgan.

When it seemed they were again attempting to build a team by trying to re-sign Sanchez and Wilson, the Pirates appeared so rudderless that I sure Kevin McClatchy and Dave Littlefield had sprung from their baseball graves.

Then people who know these things started indicating that the contracts the Pirates offered were of the lowball variety. So, now the intentions are clear.

The contract offers are more a public relations move than anything because the money is so low that a player the caliber of Sanchez, who has been to three All-Star Games in the last four years, could not sign it. Wilson may stay only because he loves playing in Pittsburgh and already struck it rich when he signed a three-year, $20.2-million contract that expires at the end of this season.

So, look for Wilson to possibly stay but for the Pirates to definitely trade Sanchez before the July 31 deadline for making deals without securing waivers. They can point the finger directly at him, too, when they deal him by saying they tried to keep him and were rejected.

Technically, they would be right. In the interest of fairness, though, it would hardly be right to blame Sanchez.