From six to two

Now that four of the six arbitration-eligible players on the Pirates - pitchers Zach Duke, John Grabow, Tyler Yates and first baseman Adam LaRoche - have settled before going to arbitration, the usual red flags are being raised for the other two who haven't signed yet.

Take the flags down and put them away.

The two remaining players on the Pirates' list - outfielder Nate McLouth and pitcher Paul Maholm - will both almost assuredly sign even though both are over $1 million apart between the numbers they filed and the ones the club filed.

For starters, Maholm could very well be signed to a long-term deal by the time his hearing comes around. There are grumblings that talks are smoldering but there is still some heat in the discussion.

As for McLouth, while there is no talk of a long-term deal, I don't think he will go to a hearing either. The thought here is that the two sides will reach a settlement on a one-year deal this year for slightly over the midpoint of the two numbers. My guess is around $3.4-3.5 million range. The Pirates probably want to see if McLouth can repeat his0play from last year and, if he can, will then sign him to a long-term deal next offseason.