Reports Wednesday afternoon began that the Pittsburgh Pirates had traded starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. It turned out the reports, which included MLB.com, were apparently wrong. The Pirates have had discussions surrounding Cole this off-season, and it appeared they had struck a deal with Houston Wednesday. As it turns out, at least for the moment, he is still a Pirate.The New York Mets have signed outfielder Jay Bruce to a three-year, $39 million contract.