ECBucs: Hi Dejan. Good news seeing Brad Lincoln at Hickory. Another Moskos question though, he gave up hits and runs last time but got strikeouts. Any idea why? Was he trying to get them? I'm worried he is not able to dominate at Lynchburg since he was projected as being close to major league ready when drafted.

Dejan Kovacevic: Greetings, angry citizens. Agreed on the nature of the news about Lincoln. I can tell you that the most optimistic forecasts had him returning by August and, even once it was clear he would pitch Sunday, no one could have guessed he would pitch that well. ... Moskos is working mostly on fastball command, even if that means momentarily setting aside his sinker. So, you will see him blow heat past guys, but you also will see more hits and runs than usual while he works on this. One of those cases were the numbers do not tell the full story.

Festivus: Seven walks is a lot. Was a lack of control the reason for Dumatrait's struggles in Cincy as well?

Dejan Kovacevic: It is the only concern I have heard anyone cite regarding Dumatrait since his acquisition.

jb: Why is Doumit's tip of the thumb fracture going to keep him out for at least 4 weeks when hockey players can skate on a broken foot? The Buccos really need his bat in the lineup especially on days when McLouth, Bay, and Nady get nothing.

Dejan Kovacevic: Baseball is more a precision sport, akin to golf, when it comes to swinging the bat. There is precision involved in hockey, too, obviously, particularly as it applies to shooting. And anyone who has played the game can tell you it would be no more a picnic trying to shoot a puck with a broken thumb than it would be to swing a bat. Your comparison is apples and oranges, not just in terms of sports but also body parts.

JRay03: Bryan Bullington: worst number one overall ever?

Dejan Kovacevic: There are many No. 1 overall picks who never make it at all. Bullington did. So, no. But he certainly is off to a disappointing 2008 start, in addition to all else that has befallen him.

Festivus: Bautista didn't play the last several days and they had Gomez waiting to pinch hit yesterday (and not Bautista). Jose seems to have fallen out of favor but has management given up hope that Bautista will be a part of the team's long-term future?

Dejan Kovacevic: There is no question Bautista has fallen out of favor, and that carries through all levels of management, from the feeling I am getting. They wanted to see much more from him offensively and defensively.

BradLincolnIsReady_: I was a little surprised to read the Pirates Notebook being rather positive about Bixler. I wasn't expecting him to be awesome, but as our top SS prospect and a 2nd round pick I was hoping for a little better than a .171 average and 6 errors. Do you really think he has shown that "he belongs?"

Dejan Kovacevic: Without speaking for Paul Meyer, who wrote the Notebook and covered the series in Chicago, the "positive" aspects you picked up were the sentiments of the Pirates about the improvement they feel Bixler has made while being in Pittsburgh. John Russell talked about some of this in St. Louis, too. There is a general feeling that, as related to his defense, Bixler was simply nervous. But there are more significant and tangible shortcomings with his offense, and those -- as anyone can see -- are not on the verge of being shrugged off.

Festivus: So far this year, what Bucco minor leaguers have most improved their prospect standing in the eyes of the organization?

Dejan Kovacevic: From a pitching standpoint, there is no one who really jumps out, aside from some modest settling by Yoslan Herrera at Altoona and the decent development of Jesse Chavez in Indianapolis. From a position-player standpoint, without question, the Pirates are most pleased with Andrew McCutchen, who is doing quite a lot right in Indianapolis.

JED: First time blogger, I love you coverage Dejan. When the Pirates inevitably implode, which of the current cast do you think can net more than one great prospect?

Dejan Kovacevic: Is one a blogger in a chat room? ... I would say no one could get more than one "great prospect," but it is possible the Pirates could get one elite guy and another prospect or two that are above-average for Jason Bay. Xavier Nady needs to sustain his current level for a longer period to get very good value, as do John Grabow and Damaso Marte.

JRay03: Andy Marte appears to be out of favor in Cleveland, and presumably was liked by Huntington while he was there. Any chance they might trade for him since Bautista is in the doghouse and possibly given up on?

Dejan Kovacevic: I wrote back in January that his name did come up, in some form, during those Bay talks that collapsed at the Winter Meetings. So you are correct that there was interest there on the Pirates' part. ... But know that the Pirates very much see Neil Walker as their future third baseman, his poor start at Indianapolis notwithstanding.

tom: Is Pearce getting back on track in Indy?

Dejan Kovacevic: Pearce tends not to keep it a secret when he is on track: His numbers just explode out of the box scores. That has not yet happened, as he continues to adjust to the adjustments Class AAA pitchers have made to him, meaning lots of junk.

tom: Dejan, does Luis Rivas have a roster spot when Wilson comes back. I realize Bixler will go back down, but does it make sense to keep Gomez and Rivas? Do you see Craig Wilson back?

Dejan Kovacevic: There are no obvious candidates in Indianapolis for a bench promotion, especially given Kevin Thompson's sore wrist and most of the other guys too young for bench duty. But, to be sure, Rivas has not done much to inspire confidence in management, either.

MAdesso: With the obvious selection of McLouth going to the All Star Game, do you think Nady has a good chance to go as well, given he stays at or around his current pace?

Dejan Kovacevic: It is mid-May, which is crazy early for this stuff, but ... based on my long-held belief that All-Stars should be picked based not only on career achievements and the first half of the current season but also the second half of the previous season -- why should that be discarded? -- sure, McLouth has a shot. Nady needs to do much more, if only for the difficulty in explaining two Pirates on the roster.

JRay03: Why does Damaso have anything to prove to other teams? He was dominant last year and except for a bad outing or two, has been this year as well

Dejan Kovacevic: Because other teams want to know he can get out right-handed hitters, which he really has only started doing in the past month or so. The Pirates' previous management used him only in left-on-left situations, with few exceptions.

LeeTunnel: We're past the quarter pole and Nate McLouth leds NL outfielders in: runs, hits, doubles, RBIs, Slugging, second in homers, fourth in triples, is batting .306, .392 on-base and has made zero errors. In your travels with the team, is anyone outside of Pittsburgh noticing this?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not many. The Pirates kind of just pass through town wherever they go. The one exception was the night in Los Angeles where McLouth hit that winning home run in the ninth. Lots of attention afterward.

Bucsin08: What is the rationale of having Brian Bixler bat with two outs in the ninth inning in a one run game?

Dejan Kovacevic: No idea. As mentioned, I was not in Chicago.

jb: Is there anything encouraging that you can see about this team to make you think they won't continue to fail at their attempts to reach .500 and hopefully surpass it? 4 failed attempts in the past week have me a little discouraged.

Dejan Kovacevic: The most encouraging thing for the Pirates, as I will detail in tomorrow's Q&A, is that so much has gone so wrong for them to this point, but they still somehow are right around .500. When you break it down, that really is bizarre.

jefft: Hi Dejan--I know everyone speaks about setting goals higher than .500, but they're now 0-3 when given the chance to get there. Are they getting frustrated by that, or is it just another loss to them?

Dejan Kovacevic: There is very little discussion about .500 in the Pirates' clubhouse, unless someone as annoying as me is asking someone about it. So, no, the frustration about that mark does not exist, from what I detect.

CraftonBob: Is McLouth trade bait?

Dejan Kovacevic: No. As detailed in the offseason, his name was floated as what one team official called a "trial balloon" at the Winter Meetings. But he was never shopped.

MAdesso: You've mentioned Thompson's sore wrist a couple times the past several weeks, yet I notice he's still putting up numbers down in Indy ...

Dejan Kovacevic: He is still doing well. The sore wrist flared up at a time when he was about to get promoted, and the team wants to be 100 percent sure it is fine before he comes up. Obviously, it is not serious enough to keep him from playing, but there is a difference in playing in Class AAA and the majors.

virginiagold: Dejan--Frustrating that the team has failed in 4 attempts to reach the magical .500, but it does seem somewhat more determined and competitive tha recent editions. Despite the loss of Wilson and the failures of the starters and LaRoche they at least haven't buried themselves yet. I am cautiously hopeful though hardly optimistic. Could you give your general assessment of performance and outlook at the quarter-pole?

Dejan Kovacevic: Kind of a general question for a rapid-fire chat, so let me just say I agree with your sentiment about the "determined" aspect. These guys, thanks largely to John Russell, Gary Varsho and a couple players, never stop pushing, no matter the deficit their starting pitchers dig for them.

LeeTunnel: Is Nady trade bait?

Dejan Kovacevic: Nobody is yet.

NotHopeless_But...: Dejan, my memory may be failing, and my wife would support you in that conclusion, but are the Pirates getting the cold shoulder from MLB when it comes to inter-league play? The first round of inter-league matchups is over. It is usually viewed as a "rivalry weekend" with Yankees-Mets, Nationals-Orioles, Angels-Dodgers on the menu, but it also had some far-fetched pairings such as Braves-A's, DBacks-Tigers and Cards-Rays. I realize that there are two more teams in the NL than in the AL and that two NL teams will always be left out, but I seem to recall that the Pirates were odd man out last year in weekend number one and were also playing a NL team that weekend in 2006. Are we viewed as not having a "natural rival," or is this a "snub" directed at a perennial bottom feeder that would not be a good draw in an AL city?

Dejan Kovacevic: The Pirates have been dumped on by the schedule-maker for nearly a decade now, in large part because, from what I understand, they simply did not fight for anything that did not involve marketing stuff. (How does getting the Yankees in Pittsburgh, for example, help the team in the standings?) ... As a result, they have been shorted through lousy trips, playing in the wrong division and interleague play, too. But they did get lots of Friday nights for fireworks. ... My understanding is that Frank Coonelly is shifting that priority.

PirateApologist: John VanB just won again down in Indy on Friday. Why can't this guy translate his skills to the next level? Without the risk of going without soup for the rest of the month, would he be better served in the bullpen like Sean Burnett?

Dejan Kovacevic: Because hitters in Class AAA are more likely to swing at balls than hitters in the majors. That's it. Not much to analyze there. He has to throw better strikes down there, then carry that up here.

PirateApologist: Hello, Dejan. Did Masumi Kuwata ever accept any type of position with the Pirates? How about Matt Morris? Wasn't he offered some type of position as well?

Dejan Kovacevic: No, nothing on either front. If there were, I would include it in the general news coverage.

LeeTunnel: Is it just me or has Xavier Nady been playing exceptional defense? He seems to be making diving catches all over the field.

Dejan Kovacevic: He has been very, very good at finishing plays, shall we say? Some of his jumps have been a little slow, and it has taken him a stride or two to get to full speed, but he has gotten there.

PhillyMarty: Jason Bay's numbers still pale compare to pre-2007. I see his price continuing to drop, are his knees still an issue?

Dejan Kovacevic: We are watching a different player, clearly.

BradLincolnIsReady_: Will you be at all bummed if by chance you aren't there to report when the Pirates crack .500, or do you cherish your days off too much?

Dejan Kovacevic: I would welcome the chance to document such an event, as would any journalist covering the truly epic news of our generation. ... But yeah, the weekend off was nice, too.

jb: Mientkiewicz has to be one of the players giving the push. Should we expect to see him continue to get playing time?

Dejan Kovacevic: Probably not tomorrow, as Paul Meyer pointed out, with the Brewers throwing a lefty. But he could be back out there against Ben Sheets the next night.

JRay03: To me its impressive they have had 4 shots at .500. Seems in past years one loss at that point led to 5. Thoughts?

Dejan Kovacevic: Good point, and you are right. They would get to .500, hit their heads off the ceiling and collapse unconscious. Now, they just keep hitting their heads.

Matt_from_Southside: Is Nady's balky groin to blame for his recent slump?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not that I have heard. And, really, that would not make much sense. It would affect other aspects first.

JRay03: JVB pitched pretty well up here considering he went from starting to pitching 2 innings a week, then had one start, which he looked good for 4 innings. He seemed like a better pitcher then in past call ups. Thoughts?

Dejan Kovacevic: He did seem better, but he still threw too many balls. One more today ...

MAdesso: Soriano goes 5-5 with two homers and the Cubs still lose, whens the last time you've seen that done. Or better yet Whens the last time that was done and the winning opponent was the Buccos?

Dejan Kovacevic: That happens about as often as you see someone look that comfortable at the plate for three consecutive games without a single pitcher once sending him to the deck with a high-and-tight fastball. Which is to say it is extremely rare. ... That is an ingredient the Pirates very much need to add to their staff. Salomon Torres did it, and no one has done it in his absence. ... Until the Brewers arrive tomorrow ...