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Q: After nearly ignoring Latin American for a decade or so, the Pirates have now gone out and signed two Cuban players in the last couple of months. Knowing the Pirates' track record for scouting talent, are Yoslan Herrera and Serguey Linares legitimate prospects, or just an attempt by the Pirates to prove that the organization is active in the Caribbean? And if they are legitimate prospects, and especially since Linares supposedly throws 98 mph, how did the Pirates manage to sign them when every other team in MLB is looking high and low for pitching?

Perhaps I've just become too cynical in that, when I see the Pirates being able to sign a player, I just assume that few teams had interest.

Josh Walzak of Sligo, Pa.

KOVACEVIC: That sounds more like realism than cynicism to me, Josh. At the same time, in the cases of these two Cuban pitchers, I have cause to believe that the Pirates held their own, in terms of bargaining and in terms of gaining the players' trust.

From the money standpoint: When I asked Herrera last month which other teams had been scouting and speaking with him, he cited only the Yankees and Red Sox. That tells you that those teams were interested at least to some degree and, perhaps, that the Pirates simply outbid them. And that is not unfathomable in dealing with Latin American prospects. Remember that Herrera's contract is three years, guaranteed major-league money with a $750,000 signing bonus and as much as $1.2 million in bonuses each year. Pretty good deal for a guy who has not pitched anywhere for two years.

The Pirates also, from my understanding, fostered a solid relationship not only with these pitchers, but also their agent, Jaime Torres. When dealing with Cuban defectors, the importance of the agent???s role cannot be overstated. These players essentially put their lives in his hands.

As for Herrera and Linares being legitimate prospects, the book on Herrera seems impressive enough to believe that he is. Linares might or might not be, but being able to throw 98 mph sure seems like a swell start.

A final point here: You mention the Pirates ignoring Latin America for a decade or so, and that really is accurate only up to 2003, when Rene Gayo, the highly accomplished Latin American scouting director, came on board. It takes time and lots of trials for 16-year-olds to develop, so it is unclear still how well he and his staff will do. What is crystal clear, on the other hand, is that not having such a presence beforehand left a void that exists to this day.

Q: Hi, Dejan. I know hypothetical trades are not likely to get this question into the Q&A, but I was wondering if you had any sense whether Dave Littlefield was still interested in adding an outfield bat? I feel OK about Xavier Nady but read recently that the Blue Jays may be fielding offers of pitching for Alex Rios and Reed Johnson.

Josh Olivier-Mason of Boston

KOVACEVIC: Steering clear of hypothetical stuff, Josh, I do get the idea that the Pirates continue to engage in trade talks regarding a bat, but not with any great urgency. And, really, if you think about it, an impact trade seems quite unlikely, if only because the Pirates really do not have much left to give. They are not going to part with pitching, the depth of position players is not great enough that dealing a fringe guy is going to get much of a return, and the prospect pool is even more shallow.

Until tomorrow ...