The Pirates did not offer arbitration to any of their free agents, which means the end has come for Reggie Sanders, Matt Stairs, Julian Tavarez and Jeff Reboulet in Pittsburgh.

With the team needing bullpen help, a contract had been offered to Tavarez, who became the de facto closer late in the season. But an agreement could not be reached by last night and it was decided not to offer him arbitration, which at the very least would have extended the negotiating period.

It is possible but highly unlikely that Tavarez could return. Every other team would have to pass on him and he could then be offered a minor-league contract, but he still could not join the club until May 1. Stairs is expected to sign a contract with the Royals, and Sanders has been in discussions with the Mets, among other teams.

General manager Dave Littlefield said the four players did "a super job" and provided good value for the club last season, which made last night's decisions all the more difficult. But the bottom line was the Pirates figured that the dollars required to keep any or all of them would be too steep.

"We'll have to find other people to fill the void, and they'll have to fit in at the right price," Littlefield said. "We have to move on and find someone else."

Sanders was the team's MVP last season, and like Stairs, Tavarez and Reboulet, had expressed an interest in returning to the Pirates.

Sanders and Stairs combined for 51 home runs and 144 RBIs last season. Tavarez was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA and had 11 saves. He did not allow a run in September for a bullpen that was an overall disappointment.

To begin making up some offense, the Pirates have agreed to terms with Daryle Ward on a minor-league contract, but there has been no official announcement.