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A week away from opening day, and time to get back into the swing.

Before the questions resume, one observation from the time back home the past few days that I felt compelled to share ...

During the ESPN broadcast of the Pirates-Red Sox game, did anyone else catch that comment about how the Pirates cannot compete financially within the Central Division, specifically against teams in bigger markets such as the Cardinals?

Argh.

All right, everyone, form a human string atop Grandview Avenue, clasp hands and shout to the masses: The size of a team's payroll is not necessarily a reflection of its market!

Here are cold, hard facts, culled from the census of metropolitan regions taken in July 2005: Of Major League Baseball's 25 actual markets (some have multiple teams), the St. Louis metro region ranks 17th with a population of 2.78 million. Pittsburgh ranks 20th at 2.39 million. There are five MLB markets with lesser populations than Pittsburgh: Denver, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Milwaukee.

The Cardinals choose to spend double the amount the Pirates spend. This year, St. Louis' payroll will be roughly $90 million. The Pirates' will be less than half that.

The Cardinals choose to invest in quality players to cultivate a connection with their fan base, attract sellout crowds and make their profits in that manner. Would that work in Pittsburgh? Seems to work for the other two teams in town.

Oh, and the five teams based in smaller markets than the Pirates? All of them, too, will choose to spend more money in 2007. Only the two Florida teams are projected to be lower than the Pirates.

Onward ...

Q: Welcome back, Dejan.

Sean Burnett said all the things I'd like to say but better. I'd like to repeat, though, that the competition to be the fifth starter should have been just that: a competition. It is very hard to justify why he was sent down and Tom Gorzelanny was kept up, other than for the Pirates to just say that they make the decisions.

It seems in some instances the Pirates' management gets an idea in its head and refuses to budge. In this case, the idea is that Gorzelanny is the starter and Burnett is recovering from surgery. Written in stone, apparently.

Marda Hook of New York

KOVACEVIC: What, no mention of Shane Youman? Youman might have been even better than Burnett. And, unlike Burnett, he was coming off no injury issue of any kind.

Suffice it to say, Marda, that management wants each to be a starter and saw neither as being in the rotation immediately. Right or wrong. And, as we saw again yesterday, it clearly would have taken an awful lot to change their minds about Gorzelanny.

Burnett did not surprise me, to be honest. The Pirates' primary focus in watching him this spring was to see if he had his control back. It certainly was improved, but seven walks in 11 1/3 innings provided a telling sign that more work could be done there. Remember: Burnett is all finesse, and his pre-surgery reputation was for pinpoint command. This element simply has to be there.

Youman? Now, that surprised me quite a bit. Not so much that he failed to make the rotation. It would have been an upset if he had. Rather, it was that he was demoted that early after pitching very, very well this spring after pitching very nicely upon his promotion last September. I do understand why he was not put into the bullpen - his stuff does not lend itself to that lefty-specialist profile - but I thought he merited more of a look this spring in the event of an injury to a starter.

To your point: Were Burnett and Youman among the Pirates' best starters this spring? Yes, unquestionably.

And to your question: Are the Pirates stubborn on some things? Yes, without a doubt, and this seems to be getting discussed down here quite a bit. But I also would point to surprise guys in the recent past - notably Matt Capps right out of Class AA - who did make the team mostly on the merits of their spring.

And be sure that, with how unsettled the bullpen and bench remain, there will be guys this week who earn jobs based on good springs.

Q: Dejan, With Jose Castillo losing the starting job to Jose Bautista, does it look to you like the Pirates might package him in a trade at some point this season? Or is he still injury insurance for Freddy, Jack or Jose Bautista getting hurt?

Dan Finnegan of Bremerton, Wash.

KOVACEVIC: A package deal?

Double-argh.

Yes, Dan, the Pirates could trade Castillo. But I dare say that would make little sense. Show me a team that repeatedly trades players at lowest possible value, and I will show you a team that will erode much faster than it improves. Castillo might get better by being a utility guy. He has options left, too, so why not send him to the minors to work on getting better?

But moving him just to move him? I find little logic in that right now, but I cannot say that the Pirates see it the same way.

At any rate, it looks extremely unlikely that Sanchez will start the season, so Castillo is your second baseman for now.

Q: Hi, Dejan. I am enjoying your "What I miss about Pittsburgh" comments. Thanks to being a Navy Brat, I lived in many places. But I must say, when I visited Pittsburgh last summer for the first time, I felt as if I were home. I loved it and can't wait to go back to visit again this summer.

I was wondering: What players will be eligible for rookie of the year in 2007?

Ben Collins of Virginia Beach, Va.

KOVACEVIC: Any position player who tops 130 at-bats, or pitcher who tops 50 innings, loses his rookie eligibility. Also, a player can lose eligibility if he spends 45 or more days on the active roster, exempting any days in September.

As such, the likeliest true rookie possibilities for the opening day roster are Juan Perez, Josh Sharpless and Don Kelly. Tom Gorzelanny has pitched 67 2/3 innings, including six in 2005.

Oh, you can put Andrew McCutchen on that list at some point, too.

Thing No. 18 that I miss about Pittsburgh: Someone told my wife in the past few days about this feature - have I mentioned that she never reads the Q&A? - and she responded by asking me to mention Frank Curto Memorial Park.

If you never have been there, you have plenty of company.

It is right in the heart of town, it might have the most breathtaking view of perhaps any urban park in America, is fully furnished and ... well, you can't get there from here.

The best way to describe how to get to this place is this: Drive along Bigelow Boulevard from Oakland in the direction of Downtown, but do it slowly. It is a long strip along the right side of the road, nestled into the steep hillside below the Hill and above the Strip District and, with the speeds generally traveled on Bigelow, you will miss the only entrance ramp if you blink. There is no bike or foot access of any kind, unless you count this decrepit set of steps that descends from the Hill.

I never have been there. But then, I never have seen an actual human there, either.

Until tomorrow ...