Lenny Ignelzi / AP

Stephen Strasburg is a great talent, but beware how pitchers drafted No. 1 have struggled in the past, NBCSports.com contributor Tony DeMarco writes.

Q: What happened to Ben Sheets? So much was discussed about this young pitcher with all the tools, but a knack for injuries hindering his future. Is he on a team, and which one?
— Jorge Marum, Algarve, Portugal

A: First, it’s always nice to hear from readers as far away as Portugal, Jorge.

Sheets remains unsigned, as he is recovering from elbow surgery that cost him a chance at a big contract in free agency last winter.

There is a good chance Sheets could return later this season, and his strongest pursuer before the surgery was the Texas Rangers, who were ready to sign him until tests showed the procedure was needed.

Since Sheets lives in Dallas, and the Rangers hired Mike Maddux — Sheets’ former pitching coach in Milwaukee — things are lining up for the right-hander to sign with his always-in-need-of-pitching hometown team.

Q: Is there any chance the Yankees will make any moves to improve their team, or are they serious about not trading prospects for rental players?
— Jeff, Chicago

A: I’ve long been a supporter of Yankees GM Brian Cashman’s fight to keep the organization’s top prospects and attempt to build a core of young talent at the big-league level.

You’re seeing the fruits of that with the successes Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes, Robinson Cano, Melky Cabrera and Alfredo Aceves.

That said, this is a team with a $200 million payroll that is built to win now. And if there is a hole that needs plugging, or an area of the team that needs improving for the stretch run, you can rest assured Cashman and Co. will act.

That area could be the setup spots in front of Mariano Rivera, but for now, they will see if Phil Coke and Hughes can fill the roles, and/or wait until Brian Bruney and Damaso Marte return from the disabled list.

The Yankees made the deal with the Pirates last July for Marte and Xavier Nady without giving up elite prospects, and I’d look for something similar next month if the setup role need remains.

Q: What is your opinion of the Nate McLouth trade?
— Alex Weidenhof, Pittsburgh

A: I like it from the Braves’ perspective, and hate it from the Pirates’.

The Braves had an obvious need for more power — particularly in their outfield — and in McLouth, they got far more than just a slugger, or a rent-a-player.

They got a 27-year-old five-tool All-Star just into his peak years, and who is signed relatively cheaply ($15.75 million) through 2011, with a $10.65-million option in 2012.

All which makes you wonder what the Pirates were thinking — trading a young, affordable cornerstone star player from their own organization just when he has become a star, for three more prospects.

I’m going to believe statements from Pirates officials that the trade wasn’t made for financial reasons; after all, they have been collecting a lot of revenue sharing money in recent years.

So I’ll question the move from a talent perspective. You can’t just keep trading away top players just as they reach star caliber, even if the return is potentially better a few years down the road. How long does their consecutive-losing-seasons streak have to go before they figure that one out?

Gorkys Hernandez is a highly rated outfield prospect who probably is a year or two away. Charlie Morton, 25, is a back-of-the-rotation arm who failed in a 2008 trial with the Braves (4-8, 6.15). The Pirates also got a Class-A pitcher — not enough in my estimation for McLouth.

Q: I love the Phillies and I’m wondering if they would trade for Roy Halladay or Erik Bedard?
— Joey Munroe

A: Halladay is keeping the Blue Jays close enough in the American League East that trading him now would cause major public relations problems for Jays management. So he’s not going anywhere soon.

That said, it’s possible that a lack of overall pitching depth (mostly due to injuries) will catch up with the Jays, and they will fall back in the AL East before the July 31 trade deadline.

That could make a Halladay deal a possibility around the deadline — but if I’m the Jays, I’d be working on extending his contract beyond 2010. Halladay’s 2009 salary is $14.25 million, and he will make $15.75 million next season.

Bedard is a different story. There already have been reports about his availability, as the Mariners are rebuilding and trying to shed money from a payroll that is just under $100 million this season — and was $117 million last season, when they lost 101 games.

Bedard’s strong first half (two earned runs or less in eight of his first 11 starts) has increased his value, as does the fact that he can become a free agent after this season.

As for the Phillies, J.A. Happ and Antonio Bastardo have stepped in nicely so far in place of disabled Brett Myers and struggling Chan Ho Park.

But looking to the postseason, you have to think they will make a move for a quality veteran starter such as Bedard.

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