Rosenthal: Sources: Dodgers seek Pirates SS, balk at price

The Dodgers, seeking a possible replacement for free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, balked at the Pirates’ asking price for shortstop Jack Wilson during recent trade talks, according to major-league sources.

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The Pirates, who are discussing Wilson with several teams, wanted Dodgers shortstop Chin-Lung Hu and two other young players, sources say.

The Dodgers first tried to obtain Wilson in early July, when Furcal was recovering from back surgery. It was then that the Pirates expressed their initial interest in Hu.

Wilson, signed for $7.25 million next season with an $8.4 million club option for 2010, would fit for the Dodgers as a short-term bridge to the organization’s top shortstop prospect, Ivan DeJesus Jr.

The Dodgers, however, are not willing to pay a high price in prospects or dollars for Wilson, who is a below-average offensive player.

On the free-agent front, they are showing mild interest in free-agent shortstop Edgar Renteria but not Orlando Cabrera, believing that Cabrera would require too long a contract, sources say.

In addition to shortstop, the Dodgers are trying to fill holes at third base and left field, as well as in their starting rotation and bullpen. They could open next season with Angel Berroa and Hu at short, with DeJesus possibly joining the club at mid-season.