Like contestants in a poker tournament, suitors of Kris Benson will be going all in sometime this week. General Manager Dave Littlefield is prepared to sit back until the 4 p.m. trading deadline Saturday to see who puts up the biggest stack of chips in the form of players.

Will it be the Texas Rangers, who appeared to be the best fit before pitcher Ricardo Rodriguez was lost for the season with a broken elbow last week? Or the Anaheim Angels, who have expressed late interest? Or the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies or any other contender looking for a starting pitcher, a commodity in big demand and short supply?

Littlefield is playing his cards close to get as much leverage as possible. So much so, that he won't say that Benson will be traded, but the pitcher's agent, Greg Clifton, said the club has not contacted him about a contract extension.

Thus far, circumstances have gone the Pirates way. Benson has put together the best string of starts in his six-year career going into the game tomorrow against the Atlanta Braves. For another, the list of teams involved has grown, which means the asking price can rise.

Ideally, the Pirates would like a bona fide major-leaguer in a low salary range who can play first base, third base or center field. They'd also like a prospect, which is considered an excessive price by some teams.

Several names have been floated in various reports regarding Benson, but names that become public seldom are the ones included in such a deal. They include:

Center fielder Laynce Nix or outfielder/first baseman Kevin Mench of the Rangers; second baseman Chase Utley or Class AA first baseman Ryan Howard of the Phillies; third baseman David Wright, who is considered untouchable, and Ty Wiggington, who is not considered an upgrade over Rob Mackowiak, of the Mets; and first baseman Michael Cuddyer of the Twins.

Much will depend on outside variables, such as if Randy Johnson gets traded to the New York Yankees or Angels. That probably would create a domino effect. The Rangers are believed to be waiting to see what their rivals do before they act. The team that gets Benson will have him for, say, 12 starts this year and must decide if it wants to offer him a new contract because he is a free agent at the end of the season.

There's a bit of a gamble in having Benson pitch tomorrow. One ill-placed line drive could be the end of a trade. But it's safe to say the Pirates will be getting more for Benson, whose nine consecutive quality starts couldn't have come at a better time, than they would if they had traded him like they had hoped last season.

Benson already has tidied up his locker to get rid of nonessentials, and he moved his family home to Atlanta two months ago in anticipation of a deal. He isn't attaching any special emphasis to the start tomorrow, mainly because he figured he'd be dealt by now.

"I considered my last four or five starts with the possibility they'd be my last here," Benson said.

Teams can make deals after Saturday, but the process becomes complicated because a player has to clear waivers before it can be completed.