The Pittsburgh Pirates are in talks with right-hander Masumi Kuwata on signing a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training, the club's official Web site said Wednesday. "The negotiation for the contract with the Pirates has been going well, but it's not finished yet," the 39-year-old Kuwata was quoted as saying in Japan. According to the Web site, Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington has said, "The opportunity to have someone with the professionalism that he showed in the clubhouse last season would be great."
