I saw this announcement coming once the Pirates pulled their starters from the offering table. I think what probably made the decision final was when the Cardinals called, because when a team with a farm system as barren as theirs thinks they have enough to offer, then Brad is definitely undervalued around the league.
The other news in the Denver Post report confirms what I speculated about last night, that with Kip Wells going elsewhere, the Rockies are now engaging in contract talks with Josh Fogg, and the likelihood of a Jason Jennings trade before the season starts is greatly reduced. Ubaldo Jimenez' last start in the Dominican was pretty shaky as well, which might also be factoring into the club's decisions regarding next season's rotation.
Eric Dubose is highly unlikely to play any role with the big league club next year, but signing him to a minor league contract isn't very risky and there's the slightest of chances that after struggling with injuries the past couple of seasons that he could turn things around. Probably about as much chance as me winning the Powerball.