The Pirates have all but said that Reggie Sanders won't return next year. And the same fate seems to apply to free agents Matt Stairs, Jeff Reboulet and Julian Tavarez.

If arbitration isn't offered to free agents by midnight tonight, they can't play in the majors with their former team until May 1. In the Pirates' case, the process also works against retaining players. The veterans likely would make much more through arbitration than they made last season and much more than the Pirates would want to pay to keep them.

"It's unfortunate. I would have liked to have come back, but they're moving in a different direction," said Sanders, the team's MVP last season.

Sanders, Stairs and Reboulet have already drawn interest from other teams, and Tavarez likely will get some calls after going 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA and 11 saves.

The Mets are among the teams hoping to sign Sanders, who topped the Pirates with 31 home runs and 87 RBIs last year. He is seeking a two-year contract. The Royals are pursuing Stairs as a left-handed bat off the bench. And the Twins have contacted Reboulet, although he won't sign unless he gets a major-league contract.

As free agents, the players are free to talk to other teams. The Pirates would have been eligible for compensation if any of them had signed before the midnight deadline. After today, there is no compensation for losing free agents who weren't offered arbitration.

The Pirates had to balance how much an arbiter might award the players over what the open market would bring and what the team is willing to pay for players past their prime. Each signed last year for $1 million or less.

Stairs was offered $200,000 less than the $900,000 he signed for last season before he opted for free agency. The Pirates did not sweeten the offer as the deadline neared. Stairs hit 20 home runs with 57 RBIs in 305 at-bats last season.

Reboulet, 40, hasn't had any contact with the club after they expressed initial interest and he said he wanted a major-league deal, which amounts to a guaranteed contract. He figured his time with the Pirates was over when Abraham Nunez signed a one-year deal last week.

"The Pirates did a great job last year by waiting to sign some pretty good players who didn't get much in the way of contract offers, Reboulet said. "They struck lightning in a bottle. I think they're counting on that again this time."