LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- He is the Pirates' perceived missing piece in the lineup.

He is young, large, left-handed and strong enough to hit the ball into the Allegheny River with a single hand.

	Related coverage Pirates Q&A with Dejan Kovacevic Winter dealings Free-agent signings and trades made by Dave Littlefield at or close to the winter meetings in five years as the Pirates' GM: 2001 Acquired RHP Kip Wells, RHP Josh Fogg, RHP Sean Lowe from White Sox for RHP Todd Ritchie, C Lee Evans. 2002 Signed OF Matt Stairs. Acquired RHP Matt Herges for RHP Chris Young and RHP Jon Searles. Lost C Ronny Paulino. 2003 Signed 3B Chris Stynes. Lost 1B Chris Shelton, 3B Jose Bautista, OF Rich Thompson, LF Frank Brooks and RHP Jeff Bennett in Rule 5 draft. 2004 Acquired LHP Mark Redman and LHP Arthur Rhodes from Athletics for C Jason Kendall and cash swap. Acquired OF Matt Lawton from Indians for Rhodes. Acquired C Benito Santiago from Royals for RHP Leo Nunez. 2005 Acquired RHP Jonah Bayliss from Royals for LHP Mark Redman. Acquired 1B Sean Casey from Reds for LHP Dave Williams and cash. Acquired LHP Damaso Marte from White Sox for OF Rob Mackowiak. Signed RHP Roberto Hernandez. Selected RHP Victor Santos in Rule 5 draft.

Oh, and he rarely strikes out, shows a good eye and would happily play for a humble wage.

And his name is ...

Well, that remains to be determined, perhaps within the four-day scope of Major League Baseball's winter meetings that open this morning.

Dave Littlefield has been known to be busy at these events in five seasons as the Pirates' general manager, and there are indications that this might be no exception. His wish list certainly is long enough, consisting of the aforementioned power hitter to play first base or right field, an experienced starter, a reliever or two and a backup middle infielder. And the constant interaction with other executives invariably leads to dozens of deals across the baseball landscape.

The Pirates' top priority, without a doubt, is that left-handed slugger.

Why?

They finished last in the National League with 141 home runs.

They allowed opposing pitchers -- and managers -- to get comfortable in facing a lineup almost exclusively right-handed.

And, perhaps most frustrating six years after PNC Park opened, they still have not employed a hitter other than Brian Giles with the talent to take full advantage of a right-field fence that is only 320 feet away.

Littlefield concedes that he has a concept in his mind for this player, but he stresses his intention of dealing with reality while shopping.

As he put it, "You can't operate with ideal scenarios in this business."

Littlefield could have as much as $17 million to spend this offseason, but he has made clear his intention of finding what he seeks through a trade rather than free agency. The reason: There is little available.

"It's really just a matter of supply and demand," he said.

The lone free agent who fits the Pirates' profile is Aubrey Huff, late of the Houston Astros, and they have shown no interest in him.

The net for a potential trade has been cast wide, according to one team source, but few names have surfaced above the level of speculation. That should come as no surprise. Unlike the pursuit of a free agent, which makes the rounds rather quickly, trade talks often are confined to no more than the phone call between two general managers attempting to deal. And they can shift on a whim.

Still, it is known that some candidates already have been scratched off. The Cincinnati Reds' Adam Dunn has topped 40 home runs the past three years, but some in the Pirates' management are turned off by his gaudy strikeout total. The Colorado Rockies made known that promising Brad Hawpe was unavailable after taking calls from the Pirates and two other teams.

Another who likely -- though not certainly -- is out of the mix is the Florida Marlins' Mike Jacobs, an infielder who hit 20 home runs as a rookie last season. Florida covets a closer, and the Pirates have others to fill the role if Mike Gonzalez were moved, but Marlins general manager Larry Beinfest is thought leery of moving Jacobs because of uncertainty on the depth chart behind him.

So, who does that leave?

Here are a few players who could fit the bill and are known to be available:

James Loney, 22, is a slick-fielding first baseman who batted .284 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 48 games as a rookie last season for the Los Angeles Dodgers. A first-round draft pick in 2002, he hit few home runs in the minors -- 35 in 529 games -- but his high count of doubles have scouts convinced that trait is coming. He is available because he is trapped behind Nomar Garciaparra on the depth chart, but the Dodgers want a front-line starter in return.

Ryan Church, 28, is a right fielder who has fallen out of favor with Washington because he refused the Nationals' suggestion that he play winter ball. Thus, even though he batted .305 with six home runs and 24 RBIs in his final 50 games, the team is shopping him in hopes of getting inexpensive, young pitching in return. Church has batted .269 in parts of three seasons, with 20 home runs and 33 doubles in 527 at-bats. He is above-average in the field, too.

Casey Kotchman, 23, was considered the top prospect in the Los Angeles Angels' ultra-deep system until 2005. And nothing he did that year in the majors -- .302 average, seven home runs in 40 games -- diminished that. But he missed all but 29 games last season to a long bout with mononucleosis. Now, management is telling him he has to win back his job, with three other good prospects on the horizon. Anaheim wants a power hitter, which the Pirates do not have to give, or a starting pitcher.

There are other possibilities, of course, but it does not appear that the Pirates are looking at any older players.

If they did, the most likely candidate would be Milwaukee outfielder Geoff Jenkins, 31, who is coming off a down year with a .271 average and 17 home runs. The Brewers have too many outfielders and are eager to move his $7 million salary for 2007 off the books. That might lessen their ambitions for a return.

What might the Pirates give up?

Littlefield has stated in no uncertain terms they do not wish to part with any of their four young starters -- Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Paul Maholm and Tom Gorzelanny -- but that could be mere gamesmanship to heighten their perceived value. In reality, to land their type of hitter, they will be enormously hard-pressed to find a suitor willing to take a reliever or two or three. And the only hitting the Pirates appear willing to give is that of second baseman Jose Castillo, whose value is at a low ebb.