BRADENTON, Fla. — Brad Eldred has plenty of power and raw talent, yet the first baseman might not have a future with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Eldred, a behemoth at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, has hit 40 home runs in a season at three different levels in the Pittsburgh minor league system. That includes 12 big league home runs in just 190 at-bats in 2005, his only stint with the Pirates.

"If there is somebody wearing a professional uniform somewhere who can hit the ball farther than this young man, I haven't seen it," Pirates manager Jim Tracy said.

Despite all of hype and success, it appears there is little chance Eldred has a role in the team's future.

When the Pirates acquired Adam LaRoche from the Atlanta Braves in January, the team became set at first base.

Eldred can play only first base, meaning he will not start in Pittsburgh and, because Tracy demands versatility from his bench, likely will not find work there, either.

"It's out of your control, what moves are made by the organization," Eldred said. "You just keep working."

One problem for Eldred is his age. He'll turn 27 in July, and is a bit old to hold onto as a prospect. Another is that he is coming off a season in which he missed all but 18 games because of a broken thumb — that is valuable lost time.

The Pirates had hoped Eldred would spend 2006 improving several areas of his game, including patience at the plate, fewer strikeouts and better defense.

Those remain in play, apparently, for when Eldred will be assigned again this season to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The likeliest scenario, if Eldred does well, is that he will be traded.