"Despite recently expressing a desire to have third baseman Pedro Alvarez play winter ball in Latin America, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said Monday he would understand and respect a contrary decision.

"We see both perspectives," Huntington said. "One perspective, which is a genuine and a legitimate one, is that he might be better to clear his head, should take a deep breath and come into spring training ready to go. There's the other perspective that it would be good for him to go down and get at-bats and try to salvage what has been a difficult year for him.

"We honestly do see it from both sides.""