evolver115: Hello there Mr. Kovacevic, long time reader, first time poster. I enjoyed your article after the 5-4 loss to the braves on Sat. I find it hard to fathom how badly those boys from Atlanta so easily have the pirates number. The bases loaded jam gave me nightmares of '92' and it seems the outcome never changes.

Dejan Kovacevic: Hello there to everyone. I appreciate the kind words about the Saturday article, and I certainly grasp the feeling that goes with seeing the Pirates lose in the bottom of the ninth in Atlanta. Trust me when I tell you there is something seriously disturbing, even after all these years, about being in that city and hearing that Tomahawk Chop chant.

Quinones: Would there be any takers on Chris Duffy? A McLouth/Davis platoon sounds fine with me until McCutcheon is called up.

Dejan Kovacevic: While on the DL? No chance.

ronin_buc: Disappointing weekend for sure when Chuck James and Buddy Carlye shut down the Bucs bats, only positive off the weekend seems to be that Jose Castillo will get an extended opportunity to play. What are the chances if Castillo performs well, that he will be benched again when Baustista returns? With Tracy and Litttlefield's track record, it would not surprise me at all?

Dejan Kovacevic: Disappointment about James and Carlyle shutting down the Pirates? Not at this stage. Disappointment is relative to expectations, and this offense has lowered those to an absurd extreme this year. ... The chances of Bautista being the starting third baseman when healthy are excellent.

Elijah_Dukes: More likely to be dealt by the deadline: Wilson or Marte?

Dejan Kovacevic: Neither. But, if you forced me to pick between one, I would say Wilson based on, one, the money trail and, two, some contender might come up missing a shortstop between now and then. It generally takes that kind of urgency for a big contract to get moved at midseason.

Quinones: Any news on re-signing Shawn Chacon? What will his asking price be?

Dejan Kovacevic: I wrote in the Sunday paper that the Pirates have yet to respond to Chacon's request to discuss an extension. His asking price has not been detailed, but you can bet he will not be seeking a pay cut, and he currently is making $3.8 million.

ifitseditoughttobegood: Are the Pirates too passive? Don't you think we need a Dave Parker/Jack Lambert type of a guy to light a fire once in awhile?

Dejan Kovacevic: When they hit, no one questions their fire. When they perform as they did in Atlanta, that becomes a hot topic. Screaming and shouting will do nothing to make them better hitters. They either need to hit better or find people more capable of hitting better.

Quinones: When was the last time somebody from the Bucs slid hard into 2nd to break up a double play? Is it obvious to you that this team does not play as hard as they did a few years ago? Maybe Jim Tracy can answer that.

Dejan Kovacevic: There is no question in my mind that this Pirates team does not compete with the intensity of other editions in recent years. The second-base slide is one of many examples.

ronin_buc: As much as I thought Jose Hernandez was a weak option during his past spots on the roster, what is Littlefield thinking with bringing up Don Kelly and his .218 average in AAA? Do they want to turn off the entire fan base?

Dejan Kovacevic: Lots of mail about Kelly. Plain and simple, a backup infielder was needed, and Kelly has shown he can do that. Hernandez is not healthy at the moment. ... Besides, are you suggesting that a recall of Hernandez would turn on the fan base?

AtlantaScottBucFan: How about Joe Girardi for manager next year? I think Jim Tracy is a very good strategic manager, but I think he is awful at motivating players, and his ho-hum, non-buffet table flipping attitude doesn't work with a bunch of young ballplayers.

Dejan Kovacevic: We are nowhere near the stage of discussing a new manager.

Brandon_D_: What do you think is the biggest reason for Bay's current slump?

Dejan Kovacevic: Plain and simple, he is missing hittable pitches. This is not a matter of his not seeing the ball. Nor, as he told me again this week, does it have anything to do with any kind of injury. He just is flat-out missing the ball.

Pgh_Knuckler: Dejan, are the Bucs the worst base-running team you've seen this year?

Dejan Kovacevic: I see the Pirates infinitely more than I see other teams, so that is tough to say. I can say that these Pirates are worse at baserunning than any recent edition I recall. There again on Saturday were two outrageous mistakes: Bautista trying to steal third with the pitcher on deck, and Rajai Davis getting picked off first later in the game. From what I hear, Jim Tracy was absolutely seething about these mistakes, though he elected not to air that publicly.

matt622: I'm all for the hometown Kelly, and it's all fine and dandy, but for God's sake, this kid serves NO PURPOSE to the major league level. Why not Brian Bixler? Forget the whole, "he might not be ready," talk... half our roster isn't ready. Call up Bixler.

Dejan Kovacevic: He and Matt Kata and anybody else near the bottom of the depth chart are not what ails the Pirates. It is the everyday eight that gets mowed down by Buddy Carlyle.

Lave_Dittlefield: Why not play Sanchez at 3B since Bautista is out? At some point you have to abandon your plan at the beginning of the season to have Freddy play 2B. How much sense does it make to have Castillo and Sanchez play in the same infield and play different positions this year from last?

Dejan Kovacevic: I asked Tracy about this yesterday in Atlanta, and he quickly changed the subject to how good Castillo is at third. That is yet another sign that Tracy is fiercely determined to have Sanchez be his second baseman.

R._Simon__Sausage_Killer: Dejan, do the Pirates brass still think this team can contend this year? They would have to be delusional to still spin that story. But hey, the fundamentals are better.

Dejan Kovacevic: Spin has nothing to do with it, as it is something I cannot recall anyone associated with the Pirates' management saying directly. But, if you go back to just last week, they were eight games under .500 and fresh off beating the top two teams in a lousy division. That raised hope in a lot of quarters.

skis: Jason Bay has been in a slump now for a month and a half. When is this going to end?

Dejan Kovacevic: Wednesday, I predict. His numbers against Jeff Francis are positively mind-boggling.

skis: Is the plan for Walker to be the starting 3B next year and McCutchen the starting CF?

Dejan Kovacevic: In Pittsburgh? Seems very unlikely. Walker now has 20 errors at third base after another one last night, and McCutchen has sent very clear signals this year that his offensive development is off the fast track.

Brandon_D_: What the odds that the Pirates could ever sweep back to back series'? When was the last time the Buccos achieved that?

Dejan Kovacevic: Maybe they could play Houston in back-to-back series. They are 6-0 against the Astros. ... In all seriousness, I was stunned in researching over the weekend that, if the Pirates had taken that series in Atlanta, it would have been the first time for five in a row since late 1992. Given the advent of the two-game sets since then, that was very surprising.

kegger: Is there any chance the Bucs will use Kuwata as a scout/goodwill piece when he retires? Seems like he could make some progress in Japan with his experience here.

Dejan Kovacevic: I am wondering right now if they ever want him to pitch again. He has taken the mound once since that Milwaukee blowup, and he might have been a fine choice for one of those two innings Shawn Chacon took Saturday night.

JohnnyRay: DJ, you've reported the Pirates have inquired about the Braves Salty, outside of Snell and Gorzy, do you believe the Pirates could even meet the asking price, let alone want to meet it?

Dejan Kovacevic: I cannot imagine the Pirates parting with either of those two pitchers, almost under any circumstance. Bear in mind: An inquiry is just that. It does not mean talks are at any advanced stage. What I heard in Atlanta over the weekend was that the Braves are in no rush to move the kid. If need be, he can play first base because of his athleticism.

Riley_Martin: Did the Pirate equipment manager forget to load the bats onto the plane? Wow, that was some bad offense.

Dejan Kovacevic: I was thinking, too, that it was Roger Wilson's fault.

Unlucky15: Is the new CEO really going to change anything, or will the position just be a figurehead that allows Nutting to run the Pirates strictly as a business as they have been been for the past too many seasons?

Dejan Kovacevic: Nutting has shown through other companies that he has no problem delegating real authority, so I would be quite surprised if this were some empty figurehead they bring in. My understanding is that it will be a baseball man, and that man will be able to hire and fire as he pleases.

Brandon_D_: Will the Pirates be sellers this year or will they try to keep everybody together?

Dejan Kovacevic: The only players the Pirates really have in the "seller" category are Jack Wilson because of his contract and Shawn Chacon because of his pending free-agent status. As I wrote Sunday, if you move one or both, you need replacements in their categories. ... My most likely choice would be Chacon. I cannot see the Pirates paying a reliever $4 million or more if it is not the closer.

Bucco: Why does it seem that every year around this time I look at the Pirates roster and there are three or four players who shouldn't be on it. I mean, Kata, Kelly, Armas? Give me a break. You may as well have me, you and Paul Meyer on the roster (and we would be cheaper)

Dejan Kovacevic: I would play for less than the $380,000 minimum, for sure, but I would fare no better with those Buddy Carlyle fastballs, I can promise you. ... Again, the Nos. 23-25 guys on the roster are not the problem. It is the Nos. 1-8.

Dubb: Weren't Pirate fans up in arms when McClendon would publicly call out players in the press and now that Tracy doesn't, people assume he has no passion or anger towards his team. Do the players still believe they know where they stand with Tracy?

Dejan Kovacevic: The public call-outs cut both ways. A manager has to be careful when doing so, or he can lose his players. ... As for Tracy, the players' perception and relationship seems to swing, as you might expect, with how the team is doing.

ChrisFromMtLebanon: What is your sense on how Bob Nutting is going to approach payroll next year? Is there any chance that spending may finally come in line with the Brewers?

Dejan Kovacevic: My sense is that, if he sees evidence that his money is not going to waste, he will raise payroll accordingly. You use Milwaukee as an example, and it is a good one: Mark Attanasio, the owner there, did not raise payroll until the past year, once he saw all the terrific things Doug Melvin was doing, not just at the major-league level but all through the system, with drafting, Latin American signings and developing.

strafalace: Seeing how Torres just came off the injury and looked rusty this weekend, is there any real chance that he will get his wish and be traded? And if so, will we get anything in return?

Dejan Kovacevic: Anyone holding out hope for the Pirates to acquire something meaningful at the deadline this year is not dealing with reality. They would be passing out an expensive shortstop or late-inning relievers, at the most. And the most likely candidate to be dealt, Chacon, would be a half-year rental. None of those is going to bring much.

EcBucs: Brian Rogers, Jesse Chavez, Jonah Bayliss, Josh Sharpless - can any of them come through to be a big time contributor next year? I really thought at least one of them would be a boost this year.

Dejan Kovacevic: Well, Chavez is the only one of those who has not gotten a chance yet, and there is plenty of positive sentiment about him. He has had ups and downs with Indianapolis, but his ERA is in the 3.00 range, and he has taken more responsibility as the others have faltered.

Paul_Waner: Is it too much to ask that Paulino know the count when he's hitting? On Saturday, the umpire had to let him know it was ball 4. This guy is clueless, what happened between last season and this one?

Dejan Kovacevic: Hard to say. So much about him seems different in terms of performance, but not off the field. The guy works hard before games. I have not seen anyone taking more extra batting practice in the past month.

RC: Dejan, does Tracy ever take responsibility for anything? I mean, how are his players supposed to play hard for him if he himself is not accountable.

Dejan Kovacevic: I answer this one the same as I always have: That has not happened yet. Now, that said, anyone watching these guys swing the bats as they did in Atlanta who could pin that on the manager is looking for a willful misdirection. The lineups were fine, the strategy was fine. But four hits off Buddy Carlyle and his 85 fastballs ...

JohnnyRay: Dejan, must I remind you that it was the Pirates who dealt out something meaningful for a late inning reliever... Chris Young for Matt Herges

Dejan Kovacevic: Touche.

ChrisFromMtLebanon: Dejan, a follow-up; do you think there is a sense of a 'lack of confidence' in Littlefield from Nutting and do you think Nutting will shed Littlefield prior to any change in payroll?

Dejan Kovacevic: It certainly is possible that some in ownership did not like seeing $17.5 million spent on Sean Casey, Joe Randa, Jeromy Burnitz and Roberto Hernandez, then seeing all of that investment reduced to Brian Rogers. Nutting is a businessman. He might not know a double play from a double-switch, but he does understand seeing that kind of money produce nothing.

Richbob496: I don't understand how most of the starters for the Pirates now were winners at Altoona and Indianapolis and now are losers in Pittsburgh. Is this a reflection

Dejan Kovacevic: Not following you here. You mean winners like Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny? Paul Maholm has a lousy record now, obviously, but anyone who has watched his past 10 starts would attest that he has been a competent -- sometimes better -- starting pitcher over that span. And Zach Duke? We will see how big a role, if any, that elbow played in his step backward.

66: Do you think there's any chance that Littlefield will become CEO?

Dejan Kovacevic: I did ask Bob Nutting if the hire could come internally, and he declined to say. But no, that seems quite unlikely.

carlos_garcia: Fan favorite or not, Jack Wilson is a .254 lifetime hitter if you disregard his 2004 *cough*fluke season. Additionally, his glovework hasn't been as superb as the Jack of 2001-2005. Will there be a point where they'll cut him or trade him for nothing, just to get his sorry bat out of the lineup?

Dejan Kovacevic: I do not like disregarding entire years out of someone's career, whether they are bad or good. The body of work is exactly that. We will take one more ...

Lave_Dittlefield: Seems like Littlefield is going to stand pat at the trade deadline this year unless he sees some talented middle relief pitchers in the minors who will never make the PBC. Seem about right?

Dejan Kovacevic: Again, for all kinds of reasons, expectations for this deadline should be set very low. ... Paul Meyer is covering the game tonight. (Not playing, though.) I will be back tomorrow, and so will the Q&A.