Six games with the Philadelphia Phillies -- including two in Citizens Bank Park April 2-3 -- and four with the Tampa Bay Rays dot the 33-game Pirates' spring schedule, the club announced yesterday.

The Pirates and Phillies close the spring with a three-game set. After meeting twice before (March 6 and 15), they meet at Philadelphia's spring home in Clearwater, Fla., April Fool's Day. Then they travel for a night game in Philadelphia April 2 and an afternoon game the next day, before the regular season opens with the Pirates at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers April 5.

The Pirates also are slated to play two exhibitions apiece against the World Series champion New York Yankees (March 8 and 14), and the Boston Red Sox (March 19 and 24).

They play the Baltimore Orioles in a night game at McKechnie Field March 10.

Their spring schedule unofficially opens March 2 at McKechnie with the usual charity game against the local college -- which has changed its name from Manatee Community College to State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

Spring season tickets go on sale Monday at $232 for box seats, $217 reserve and $142 grandstand. Spring-training season ticketholders will get the first chance, with a deposit of $25 or so, to purchase the same seat for the 70-game home schedule of the new Bradenton entry in the Florida State League.

In other Pirates news:

• Closer Matt Capps, one of 13 Pirates at PNC Park this week for a voluntary conditioning camp, was offered by Pirates management to the Milwaukee Brewers in an attempt to trade for shortstop J.J. Hardy, according to an American League source. Hardy went to the Minnesota Twins Nov. 6 in a trade that sent outfielder Carlos Gomez to the Brewers.

• Outspoken Delwyn Young opted to stay mum on the team's abandoning him at second base in favor of newly acquired Akinori Iwamura: "It is what it is. I'm going to leave it at that. I'm taking the high route."

• Left fielder Lastings Milledge has acknowledged for the first time that his right hand -- the one that shut him down for two months early in 2009 -- hampered his power. But he expressed optimism it will be back at full strength by next spring training's end.

• Pitcher Craig Hansen, on the disabled list most of this past season with a nerve disorder, was cleared this week by doctors to begin re-teaching his arm how to throw. The nerves in his upper back have shown signs of regenerating, so he basically has to rebuild his upper-body strength -- including a throwing motion.

• Jeff Clement, acquired from Seattle in the Jack Wilson trade, is planning to prepare for first base and catcher heading into spring training: "I'm hoping I still get a chance to catch, whether it would be every day or backup."

• Andy LaRoche, who spent a week in Instructional League working at second base before the Iwamura trade apparently rendered that moot, said he told Pedro Alvarez to feel welcome at third base. "If he's ready ... get him up here. Obviously, he rakes. Even if he's not a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman, his offense will make up for it. He's not bad at third base, either."

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.