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Q: Dejan, despite all the optimism going around, I can't help but think, "Fool me once, shame on me. Fool me twice, shame on you." Chris Duffy showed a good average at leadoff to end last season. What makes the Pirates and their fans think that this isn't another Tike Redman/Adrian Brown story?

Dan Opel of Carmichaels

KOVACEVIC: Well, first off, Dan, I think you got that fool-me saying backward up there.

I get a lot of these Tike/Adrian comparisons to Duffy, and they are worthwhile only in terms of second-half batting averages. Nothing else. Duffy is a greater talent than either of those two on their best days, offensively and especially defensively. At the plate, he has more pop, a greater and more consistent history of average through the minors and better speed on the basepaths. In the field, there is no comparison. Duffy is excellent, and the other two were well below average.

This Tike/Adrian thing is one of those that gets repeated often enough that people eventually believe it without putting any independent thought into it. It is baseless.

Duffy has plenty to prove, no question. He must show that he can produce over the course of a full season at a level at least approaching what he did in the final two months last season. He also will have to answer -- for a long time, maybe -- doubts that accompany his leaving baseball for a spell last year. But it would be far fairer and more accurate to weigh him on his own merits.

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Q: Dejan, any update on the Freddy Sanchez contract? I thought something in the way of a two-year contract was supposed to be done late last week. What gives?

And are the Pirates really going to go to arbitration with either him or Adam LaRoche?

Rich Parmely of Wallkill, N.Y.

KOVACEVIC: It sounds very unlikely that any of the four remaining arbitration Pirates will make it to hearings, Rich, and that includes Sanchez.

Optimism was high late last week that a deal was close between the team and the batting champion, once the sides had switched the term from one year to two years, and I have heard nothing since then to indicate the delay is anything more than a matter of crossing Ts and dotting Is. But, as with any deal, it is not done until it is done.

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Q: Dejan, what do you see happening to Jose Castillo if Jose Bautista wins a starting infield job? Would the Pirates put Castillo on the bench, or would he go to Class AAA and try to work it out? Does he even have any options left?

Curtis Sproul of Uniontown

KOVACEVIC: Castillo does have options left, but he would have to really bomb in the spring for the team to decide to send him down. Given his talent, that seems not all that realistic. What is much more likely is that Castillo, if he does not win back his starting job, will get bench duty.

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Until Monday ...