BASEBALL Pirates still pursuing three top free agents

They are close to signing Raul Mondesi and Randall Simon.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- As they prepare to open spring training later this week, the Pittsburgh Pirates are pursuing three free agents -- outfielder Raul Mondesi, first baseman Randall Simon and closer Ugueth Urbina.
The Pirates hope to sign Mondesi and Simon later this week and have spent much of the off-season trying to reach a deal with Urbina, who remains unsigned. Urbina had 40 saves with Boston in 2002 and 32 last season for the Rangers and the World Series champion Marlins.
Mondesi, who will be 33 next month, likely would be the Pirates' starting right fielder, thus cutting into the projected at-bats for first baseman-outfielder-catcher Craig Wilson.
Mondesi made $13 million last year while splitting the season with the Yankees and Diamondbacks, batting .272 with 24 homers and 71 RBIs in 143 games.
Team lacking power hitters
The Pirates badly need some power after not re-signing outfielders Reggie Sanders (31 homers in 2003) and Matt Stairs (20 homers), and Mondesi has hit at least 24 homers every season since 1995. He had 93 homers with the Dodgers from 1997-99, then had 51 homers over the next two seasons with the Blue Jays.
Mondesi has never had a 100-RBI season, but has 264 homers and 828 RBIs in the majors with the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Yankees and Diamondbacks.
Simon was traded from the Tigers to the Pirates before last season, but was later dealt to the NL Central champion Cubs. He hit .274 with 10 homers and 51 RBIs with the Pirates, but was dealt not long after he swatted one of the Brewers' racing sausage mascots during a between-innings stunt in Milwaukee.
If the Pirates sign Mondesi and Simon, it will fill two of the three roster spots they have held open during the off-season. Keeping the three spots open caused them to lose eight minor league players through the Rule 5 draft or waiver claims, including their last two minor league players of the year -- catcher Chris Shelton and first baseman Walter Young.
Reach terms with Merced
The Pirates came to terms Saturday night with outfielder Orlando Merced, who last played for the team in 1996. Merced, 37, hit .231 with three home runs and 26 RBIs in 123 games last season as a utilityman with the Astros, his seventh major league team.
Merced becomes the 25th non-roster player signed by the Pirates, including outfielder Daryle Ward, another former Astros player who likely will compete with Merced for a spare outfielder's job.
If Merced can make the Pirates' roster, he will return to the team he broke in with in 1990. He was a Pirates regular from 1992-96, but never had more than 17 homers in a season.
His two best seasons were 1995 (.300, 15 homers, 83 RBIs) and 1996 (.287, 17 homers, 80 RBIs). He was traded to the Blue Jays after that season in the deal that brought the Pirates infielder Abraham Nunez and Wilson, both of whom are still with the club.
Merced has a .277 average with 103 homers and 585 RBIs in 1,391 career games.
The Pirates open camp Friday in Bradenton, Fla., though position players aren't due to report until next week.