Dejan Kovacevic: A hearty, happy hello from the best non-Pittsburgh stop on the National League tour. Ready to go when you are ...

Charleston_Charlies: Do you think we can catch Washington in that all important Loss Column? Another top 5 pick will greatly help the rebuilding process.

Dejan Kovacevic: I will take some doing, but the Nationals have been playing very well of late. Certainly worth tracking.

Chief_Bender: Dejan: Happy Friday. Should the Pirates look into getting Craig Hansen some prescription glasses? Sure seemed to help with Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn back in '89.

Dejan Kovacevic: Hansen has significant control issues. That much requires no glasses to see. I was as surprised as anyone to read upon landing here yesterday that he was summoned in a tight situation. A couple appearances in the minors were not going to address what ails him.

dim_sum_in_my_tumtum: Who is getting that TBA outfield spot on the AFL roster in Scottsdale?

Dejan Kovacevic: When I know, I will print it. All I know is that it should be a position player.

jonoz: I have been surprised that Nyjer Morgan has been getting more playing time then Steve Pearce. Do you think management believes Morgan has more upside then Pearce?

Dejan Kovacevic: Probably not. But they might see Morgan as a better stopgap for Andrew McCutchen, part of that two-center-fielders plan they discuss often. ... Bottom line with Pearce is they want to see him be more selective at the plate. Otherwise, his power and other positives are meaningless. (But they can only see that if he plays, so ...)

5yearplan_: Dejan, can you please tell John Russell that we are a rebuilding team since he seems to forget that due to his awful starting lineup Thursday filled with veterans who have no future on the team.

Dejan Kovacevic: Not close to being part of a reporter's job to preach to the subject matter being covered. But I certainly can ask questions about it.

OperationShutdown: Dejan, first off, you set the gold standard for coverage with the blog. It is truly outstanding. Will the team consider moving McLouth to left field full time for 09? I know his play has been fantastic in center, but the thought of Morgan and or McCutchen in Center is certainly intriguing.

Dejan Kovacevic: That was addressed in a Notebook item about a week or so ago. Use our search engine with some of those names to find it. Should be easy. Short answer: No decision yet.

SFBucco: DK - longtime pirates fan living in San Francisco? Want to meet up for a beer near the ballpark tonight after the game?

Dejan Kovacevic: I appreciate that, but a) I don't drink and b) you probably will be in bed by the time I leave the stadium. Thanks, though!

OperationShutdown: On a personal note, is Frisco one of your favorite cities to visit during the season? Lousy airport, but a great town ...

Dejan Kovacevic: Check the blog. All I'm doing is raving about it today. Plan to shoot a few more pictures, too, once I cable-car across to the Wharf. ... Airport's getting a little better, too.

OperationShutdown: Does Jason Delaney have a future in the bigs? It seems all this guy does in the minors is hit around .300 and demonstrate plate discipline.

Dejan Kovacevic: His name hardly ever comes up, but you are correct about the discipline. It might be the best of any player in the system. Thing is, as we are seeing with Jamie Romak, there is such a thing as being too selective, or waiting for a pitch one can kill as opposed to one can hit.

OperationShutdown: Will we see a bevy of new scouts and minor league coaches and managers in 2009?

Dejan Kovacevic: One can reasonably expect at least a pseudo-bevy. Very clearly, these new guys want things their way, to the extreme of hiring 20-somethings with no professional experience to be pitching coaches at the low minors, the most important formative years for any player. Following orders seems to be No. 1.

Bucsin08: Does Neil Walker have to be protected to avoid being available in the Rule 5 Draft?

Dejan Kovacevic: Yes, he has to be added this fall. Andrew McCutchen does not until after the 2009 season. The latter is a big reason, by the way, you are not seeing him this September.

atkpitt12: Is there reason to have more overall optimism about a pitcher like Ohlendorf because he has a fastball in the mid to upper 90's?

Dejan Kovacevic: I enjoyed watching him pitch inside more than I did his velocity, which, as Paul Meyer reported, was below his usual par, anyway. The kid threw inside!

ajt123: More wins: the rest of the year for the Pirates? Or total for the Steelers this year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Tough one. I will go with the baseball club, if only because it has an easier schedule. The Steelers have one really tough patch in there.

OperationShutdown: Will Sanchez be back tonight?

Dejan Kovacevic: Won't know until I get to the ballpark around 6 p.m. your time. Check the blogs for lineups. I try to get those posted shortly after Gary Varsho's penned version is put up in the clubhouse.

5yearplan_: Do you think the staff lets Maholm increase his innings count by more than 20 this year, which would be a huge mistake?

Dejan Kovacevic: I think he will be right around 200 by the time he is done. Huge mistake? The research shows you should not increase by more than 30-40 above the previous high. Bear in mind Maholm's previous high in the 176 range was matched each of the past two years.

5yearplan_: If Alvarez doesn't sign, and the Pirates have two top 5 picks next year do you see management staying away from drafting a Boras client?

Dejan Kovacevic: No. Boras and Neal Huntington have a healthy enough relationship, and there is no indication from either side at this stage that bridges have been burned there.

jefft: If you can excuse the heresy, what are the chances that the Pirates would leave Walker unprotected, & chances that someone would pick him up?

Dejan Kovacevic: Zero and enormous.

OperationShutdown: Dejan, will we have a chance to see either of the two catching call-ups get a start behind the dish this weekend? I am anxious to see if Ronny has improved at all since his last stint with the big club, and what our trade of Joey Bats brought.

Dejan Kovacevic: I would expect Robinzon Diaz to get a look or two at some point this month. And I would not dismiss the notion that Paulino is part of this team's future. I very much get the impression that he is.

dim_sum_in_my_tumtum: Your minor league report gave a glimpse at the PBC's Troy Buckley and his presence throughout the minors. Curious what new approaches the PBC have taken in batting as well as pitching in the minors?

Dejan Kovacevic: Very simple: Gregg Ritchie's plan is no different than that of Don Long. The two worked on it over last winter, and the emphasis is on patience and selectivity. That sounds like a total no-brainer, but I am not so sure it was the emphasis under Ritchie last year before Long's arrival. ... Is it working? Hard to tell with so little offensive talent at all levels. But the most encouraging sign surely is that McCutchen, by all accounts, shrunk his strike zone back to where it was naturally when he joined the Pirates' pro ranks.

MAdesso: Is there any chance MLB/Bud Selig can ban Scott Boras from baseball?

Dejan Kovacevic: No. Agents are accredited by the unions, in all sports. Boras has done very well for the union.

ajt123: How soon after Alvarez's' arbitration will a decision be announced?

Dejan Kovacevic: I wrote in the Monday notebook that it will take 2-3 weeks after the hearing.

Cope: Where do you see Tabata next year? Will he start at Altoona and work his way up to Indy?

Dejan Kovacevic: That might depend on his offseason and his spring training. The way Tabata performed down the stretch in Altoona, one might easily get the idea the opposition was too easy. But bear in mind that the Pirates want to groom both Tabata and McCutchen as center fielders -- to enhance value -- and having them both in Indianapolis might not work for that.

jefft: Dejan--is there any sign of people on this team getting ready for October, as in getting golf clubs ready?

Dejan Kovacevic: Last I saw the club, it had lost its 10th in a row. Paul Meyer was with the team in Cincinnati, and I will see them later this afternoon here. Tough one to answer.

kstreams: Any indication what level Alvarez starts at next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: The Pirates genuinely have not made up their minds about this, probably for obvious reasons. But I would be very surprised that, if Alvarez were to have a good winter somewhere, he would not start out in low A with a quick trigger for Altoona if he does well there.

Chief_Bender: Any clues as to who the Pirates chose not to send to Arizona or Hawaii due to his behavior/antics/conduct?

Dejan Kovacevic: If I knew that, I certainly would not have left it out.

stealer6: DO you know if they plan on getting any free agents in the offseason, or if we are going to have yet another embarrassing year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Loaded question of the day. No, the Pirates are not planning on any large-scale free-agent signings in the offseason. But I am guessing they are hoping to perform at something above an "embarrassing" level next year, regardless. ... I keep saying this in regards to free agency: You will not see it until they upgrade their internal talent to the point that people are talking about the Pirates the way they were about the Brewers two years ago as Fielder, Hart, Hardy and others started popping out of the Wisconsin cornfields.

stealer6: Dejan, Have you heard anything about how the draft class of 2009 looks? We will have at least one pretty high pick.

Dejan Kovacevic: It looks like a better class than this one, which is something Alvarez probably would do well to keep in mind. And it will be much better in terms of pitching. ... Anybody truly ready for the Pirates to draft another first-round pitcher?

Cope: It's nice to see that more and more people are posting on the blog every day. I see fresh names on there all the time. Is the blog something that PG sees as a long term part of the website?

Dejan Kovacevic: Yes, absolutely. And you can expect more of them on more different topics in due time.

Ryan: In August, Bay .315, 29 RBI, Nady .299, 9 HR. I like Moss thus far, but how do you replace that kind of production?

Dejan Kovacevic: You just don't, as has been obvious. But these things are weighed over time. There seems to be a lot of comparisons made, in the feedback I get, between Bay/Nady and Moss/LaRoche, as if these were two-for-two trades. All facets, including Damaso Marte and the Type A compensation draft pick the Yankees get and every other detail, has to be weighed to be done fairly.

SandlotWizard: Will there be a 3B competition next year in ST between Andy LaRoche and Neil Walker? Why wouldn't there be?

Dejan Kovacevic: There will not be. One view of why might be that LaRoche long has been seen as the better prospect in baseball circles. Another might be that LaRoche was acquired by this management team, Walker by the previous guys. That always, always is a factor when new people come in, and the Pirates' new guys are no exception.

Cope: Who do you think on the Pirates is the best golfer? My bet is Matt Capps. I bet he can crush a golf ball.

Dejan Kovacevic: Adam LaRoche is good enough that he twice has golfed with Tiger without embarrassing himself. (Not totally, anyway.)

tnbucs: Any explanation why the Pirates waited until 11:56 to call Boras? 11:45 or so would seem to have been late enough to make clear that it was a final offer while avoiding the risk of negotiating past midnight.

Dejan Kovacevic: Perhaps to apply maximum pressure. Not much haggling the kid or his agent can do in three-plus minutes.

SandlotWizard: Could there be a competition at 1B next Spring between Adam LaRoche and Steve Pearce? Do you think some competition for his job might help LaRoche get off to a better start?

Dejan Kovacevic: If LaRoche is back with the 2009 Pirates, he will be making somewhere in the neighborhood of $7 million through arbitration. He will play.

Chief_Bender: I'm not sure that I buy the Pirates' willingness to get competent free agents once they upgrade their internal talent. The talent was on this past team -- at least offensively -- and they chose to get rid of the best two players and not go after pitching or build around that offensive nucleus.

Dejan Kovacevic: You are correct. The offensive talent was there.

Cope: How often do you post/write about the Pirates during the offseason. This is my first season of religiously following the Pirates through the PG.

Dejan Kovacevic: I will disappear completely out of sight about a week after the season ends, then return for the Winter Meetings in early December. From there, the coverage is done no differently, really, than what you see now, except for much less material in the day-to-day newspaper sense.

SFBucco: DK - my seats are right in front of the pressbox tonight. I'll come by and give a holler. Beat 'em Bucs!

Dejan Kovacevic: I will be in the front row, slightly off to your left and close to the radio guys. Stop by.

Luca_Brasi: Any early indication of the schedule next year? I'm guessing there's a Miami-LA-Washington road trip somewhere in there.

Dejan Kovacevic: I am guessing, based on precedent, that the Pirates will make, oh, five separate road trips to play five series in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. But that is just the bitterness in me coming out.

Cope: And I bet Tiger could play baseball with Adam LaRoche and not totally embarrass himself...

Dejan Kovacevic: I would not bet against it. When dealing with a Tiger or Michael Phelps or Sidney Crosby or Usain Bolt, athletes that transcend their sports, never wise to bet against them doing anything.

Dougie_Fresh: Is there any chance that McCutcheon actually gets a fair shot in spring training at the center field job with Nate moving to left?

Dejan Kovacevic: I would think McCutchen will have to floor the Pirates, but I also would think he is capable of doing that. He has been a very good spring performer every year. ... One more ...

MAdesso: DK, did the PBC announce their minor league player of the year yet? Who gets your vote?

Dejan Kovacevic: They will announce the player and pitcher of the year later. I would give player to McCutchen, who, it should be remembered, is playing well up in class for someone his age. And the pitcher ... I might leave that one vacant. Seriously. If Brad Lincoln established himself anew as the system's most promising pitcher, coming off elbow surgery and needing only to make a few starts and throw a few strikes, that is a pretty strong indication that no one else stepped up. ... We will chat again Monday from Houston.