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A very mixed reaction to the Matt Morris deal amid the 171 emails I received just during the game last night, but nothing at all mixed about everyone's feelings on the woebegotten catcher ...

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Q: Having watched Matt Morris smacked around like a pinata numerous times over the past two years, I can't begin to understand why Dave Littlefield would be willing to allocate close to 20 percent of next year's payroll to Morris, yet will not step up for a signing bonus for a potential franchise position player in the draft.

How can he not be fired after this debacle of a trade?

Dave Sherry of Tiburon, Calif.

KOVACEVIC: The trade, as with any other, will be judged on its results much more than the money, Dave. But your larger point is indisputable: The Pirates have only X number of dollars, and they rather easily dispense it when it comes to certain older players -- Morris, Jeromy Burnitz, Joe Randa -- but are uncommonly tight-fisted about it when it comes to the building blocks of the franchise, whether that is bypassing a superior prospect in the draft or failing to compete for top talent in Latin America.

And this is not new, so it cannot wholly be seen as the product of a front office looking for immediate results with a new CEO on the horizon. It has been this way for years.

The best explanation is that the Pirates believe they are closer to being competitive than most people seem to, or than the standings show them to be.

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Q: A 33-year-old Matt Morris for 27-year-old center fielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named later? You've got to be kidding me. Why do we need him? Shouldn't we be trying to get some prospects or something?

I think this whole thing needs blown up.

Jude Venesky of Moon

KOVACEVIC: The Pirates' answers to shortcomings at the major-league level, almost invariably, are to acquire major-league players or those close to the majors. The history will show very few true prospects have been acquired under this front office.

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Q: Dejan, is Morris under contract for next year? If so, then count me as surprised and impressed.

While Morris is past his Cy Young days, this move makes the team better and seems to have been made without regard to payroll. I can't remember the last time the Pirates were on this side of a salary dump. Would Bob Nutting have approved this move and is it too much to hope that it is a sign that payroll might be increased next year?

Ted Schroeder of Point Breeze, Pittsburgh

KOVACEVIC: Nutting did authorize the deal, and yes, it is a sign that payroll ... well, it simply must increase after this. Otherwise, the Pirates will have zero flexibility after tying up roughly 20 percent of their payroll in one player.

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Q: Why would the Pirates trade for an over-the-hill pitcher who is making $10,037,283? Am I missing something?

Justin Brindger of Williamsport, Pa.

KOVACEVIC: Their view is that he fits in with the team's needs for a veteran starter. And that really is about it.

Maybe they think he is going to revert to his form of four, five, six years ago. But that sort of thing does not happen often.

Maybe they think their starting pitching depth is shallow, and they would be right.

We can discuss this some more later in the week -- too much writing of actual news to do today -- but the greater ramification, I think, is the expenditure of money, as well as the timing of it. The Brewers went out and got Jeff Suppan because it was clear to most that they were ready for their next move. The Pirates, these Pirates and the 14 editions that have preceded them, have demonstrated nothing of the kind. Moreover, there is no help on the way for 2008, unlike the very impressive wave Milwaukee has started to move along.

These things are built from the ground up, not the top down. Ask Allard Baird in Kansas City.

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Q: Hey, Dejan, although now stuck with two light-hitting shortstops, I'd prefer to let the new GM and CEO work that out come the winter meetings. I can dream.

Any chance Jack Wilson or anyone else could clear waivers and still be moved? Jack seems like the only one that could with the big contract.

Colin McWhertor of Grand Rapids, Mich.

KOVACEVIC: Yes, Wilson is the only one. And I have every reason to believe that the Pirates-Tigers talks of the past couple days are not finished.

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Q: Dejan, I don't know about that article yesterday ... sounds dangerously close to a package deal. And we know how you feel about package-deal proposals.

Steve Mangin of York

KOVACEVIC: I was kind of hoping no one noticed that. (Ducks for cover.)

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Q: After watching Ronny Paulino make absolutely no effort on back-to-back plays and then saunter into the dugout and smirk, I felt ill.

Why didn't Jim Tracy tell him to take off his equipment and sit? Why isn't he on the next bus to Indianapolis?

Does he realize that he's as low as he can go?

He's on the worst team ever. He's playing himself out of the league.

Mike Fichthorn of Manorville

KOVACEVIC: I am with you on everything but the smirk, Mike. I saw it, too, and the timing looked awful. But I think he was trying to relax himself after a horrible inning.

He tried to smile in facing the media, too, but that did not work out too well, either.

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Q: Are the Pirates serious with Paulino? How can that guy keep his job?

No successful business operates with such an utter lack of accountability. How can the Pirates not fire Paulino -- that's right, not bench him, not demote him to Indianapolis, but rather give him his outright release -- after the countless examples this year of the fact that he just doesn't care?

Mike Riordan of Bethesda, Md.

KOVACEVIC: Based on Jim Tracy's answer to my question last night about Paulino, which you can find in the regular coverage, it will be plenty interesting to see the Pirates' next step. Sure sounded to me like the manager had seen enough.

Until tomorrow ...