"Hunter Pence was a possibility. So was Carlos Beltran. But in the end, the Pirates walked away from the trade deadline Sunday with two players -- Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick -- who cost them just $4.8 million and a couple of low-level prospects.

"We explored all levels of deals," general manager Neal Huntington said. "We explored the huge deals and the smallest of deals. We were not afraid of going all-in, but it's got to be logical and rational."

Houston's list of demands for Pence was too high. Beltran refused to take the Pirates off his list of no-trade teams. Huntington also went after a top-grade reliever -- Kojii Uehara and Heath Bell were on his radar -- but again found the price too costly.

"I can't say we were afraid or unwilling to give up anybody in particular," Huntington said. "But as we began to look at the packages it would take, we felt it was better to go in a different direction."

Huntington got Lee from the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night for Class A first baseman Aaron Baker. With about 15 minutes to go before the deadline yesterday, Huntington nabbed Ludwick from the San Diego Padres for a minor leaguer to be named or cash.

Ludwick, 33, is hitting .238 with 11 homers, 64 RBI and a .674 OPS. He was an All-Star in 2008, when he batted .299 with 37 homers, but has not been able to get back to that level."