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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Pirates are plenty interested in Atlanta Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche, but they might be losing steam for Jeff Suppan or any free-agent pitcher.

General manager Dave Littlefield spoke again yesterday, the second day of Major League Baseball's winter meetings, with Atlanta counterpart John Schuerholz about acquiring LaRoche through a trade for closer Mike Gonzalez.

Some sources familiar with the talks described Littlefield as reluctant to part with Gonzalez, but the Pirates' take on the matter is that Schuerholz was fielding a growing number of offers yesterday for LaRoche and wants to wait and choose the best one.

Schuerholz might have supported the latter notion when he described the day as having a pause feel.

Littlefield never discusses specific negotiations, but he did allow that there are "a half-dozen" teams with whom he is discussing trades for a left-handed power hitter. He said, too, that he is starting to get "more clarity as to where people stand on things."

To be sure, the Pirates' stand on LaRoche is a positive one.

He is 27, fairly inexpensive at about $2 million next season, slick at first base, and has power enough to "hit the ball into the river," one executive said, referring to the Allegheny River beyond PNC Park's right field. Last season, LaRoche batted .285 with 32 home runs and 90 RBIs.

Which might explain why the Pirates are not the only potential suitors for his services.

There could be four of five others, highlighted by the Los Angeles Angels, who are offering Chone Figgins as a possible replacement for Marcus Giles, the second baseman the Braves are expected to trade. What could work against the Angels, though, is that they do not want to trade pitching. The Baltimore Orioles are interested, too.

The Braves' top priority this offseason is pitching, and they are known to covet Gonzalez, perhaps intensely.

If acquired, he likely would be the setup man for Bob Wickman, their 36-year-old closer, then take over that role in time. Gonzalez was 24 for 24 in saves in his first year as closer, and those included two dominating performances Aug. 22-23 in Atlanta, when he had five strikeouts in retiring all six batters he faced. That, apparently, made a resonating impression on Braves management.

The Boston Red Sox also are asking about Gonzalez, as well as fellow reliever Salomon Torres, but they appear to be a poor match for the Pirates' needs.

Another target for the Pirates remains Washington Nationals outfielder Ryan Church, who also is coveted by the Kansas City Royals. But Colorado Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe remains out.

Several reports yesterday described a possible three-way trade in which the Pirates would get Hawpe for starter Paul Maholm, and the Chicago Cubs would send outfielder Jacque Jones to Colorado. The Pirates never were involved in any such talks, two sources said, although Hawpe's name was on their radar. Moreover, Colorado manager Clint Hurdle yesterday issued an emphatic denial that Hawpe is available.

Sources inside and outside the Pirates continued to stress that they have no intention of trading any of their four young starters: Zach Duke, Ian Snell, Tom Gorzelanny or Maholm.

"When you trade a starter, that leaves three," Littlefield said. "That makes things difficult." Littlefield is pursuing a fifth name to join that group, but the sentiment expressed yesterday by some strongly indicated that the soaring salaries being offered to free-agent starters -- "silly money," as one called it -- are forcing the team to rethink that avenue.

Suppan had been the Pirates' primary target, and they remain in touch with agent Scott Leventhal. Two days ago, Leventhal and Littlefield met for what Leventhal last night described as "a healthy discussion." He said the Pirates remain in the picture. But the contract signed Monday by Vicente Padilla with the Texas Rangers -- three years, $34 million -- raised the bar yet again, and Suppan is seen as a lock to command more than $10 annually over four years.

"Suppan's going into another stratosphere," one agent said.

The Pirates probably could not trade for a starter without giving one up, so they might be leaning back toward keeping Shawn Chacon, multiple sources said.

Chacon is arbitration-eligible after making $3.6 million last season, and the Pirates can retain his rights by tendering him a contract by Dec. 12. The team's decision, Littlefield acknowledged, will be influenced to some degree by what has happened on the open market.

"Knowing that we've got Chacon under control and knowing that the free-agent market is very pricey, that's going to come into play," he said.