yzguy431: hello, when is the mlb trading deadline, and do you think the pirates will be active, and if so, what will they do?

Jerry Micco: I believe the trade deadline is July 31. I expect the Pirates to be active sellers, especially shopping Nady, Bay and Marte. That said, I don't expect all 3 to be gone by the end of the deadline, either. But this team still has some pretty sizeable holes, particularly in the pitching staff, and the minors are bereft of pitching. It's going to take a player who's doing very well -- like a Nady or Bay or Marte -- to command some players. And even at that, teams will not give up their best prospects for those guys. Probably very good prospects, but not their best.

Fish: How did the NHL avoid all of the salary cap loop holes that seem to be so prevalent in the NFL?

Jerry Micco: Because they learned from the mistakes the NBA and NFL made in their caps and closed all the loopholes. That's a guess on my part. I couldn't begin to tell you much about salary caps.

MPM: I?m probably in the minority on this one, but if the rumors are true about the Penguins offering a contract to Jaromir Jagr, I would be very pleased. Of course, the salary would have to be reasonable. It was clear by his performance in the playoffs that he?s still capable at playing at a high level. Your thoughts on a possible second Jagr tour with the Pens?

Jerry Micco: I think it's highly doubtful and the Penguins could do just as well without him. Jags brings a load of talent, but a lot of baggage to a team. And while he's still a good player, he's a shadow of what he once was. I just don't see him being happy here sharing the limelight with Crosby and Malkin.

theWellHungarian: Is anyone excited about the Jagr talk other than me? The guy was an absolute beast against us ... So he told Sid to quit diving/crying, I kind of agree with him ... He is an older more mature player now & this Pens fan will welcome him back, if he chooses

Jerry Micco: Just answered this one. I don't think he's going to add all that much to a team. I guess though, you have to talk with him because he's still a very good player. But I think the reward does not outweigh the risk.

jimmy_g: I must admit that I am starting to lose interest in the Pirates as they appear to be starting their mid-season swoon. Is there any reason to believe that we will ever be a three professional team town again?

Jerry Micco: It's going to take a few more years of gloom and doom before the Pirates have a winning season. They are going to have to trade some good players to restock because they can't do much in free agency. This core group: Maholm, Doumit, Snell, Gorzo, Bautista, McLouth, Paulino, Capps, Duke all came through what was once considered the best minor-league operation in baseball. Add to that Bay, Nady, LaRoche, Sanchez, Wilson and you have the team that management was counting on to contend. Well, we see that's just not going to make it. Nice team, hits really well, extremely spotting pitching. Actually, poor pitching. It's going to be a few years before they win.

Joey_Bats: Will the delay in funding for the casino affect the construction of the new arena? I can't remember if Don Barden agreed to contribute funding towards the arena? If so, what happens to the Penguins and their arena if he can't meet his obligation?

Jerry Micco: He did state he'd contribute $7.5 million a year toward funding for the arena. But the money will be owed to the state, who will finance the arena. The problem is, the recession is clobbering casinos. They are not good investments these days and part of Barden's problems are because money's tight and the casino business is now a spotty investment.

YeOldeBuccoFan: As the clock ticks on, does that increase our chances of keeping Hossa, or decrease them?

Jerry Micco: I think it probably increases them. It means he's probably hearing some big offers, but he wants to give the Pens a chance to match or come close. I think he wants to stay in Pittsburgh, but he's not going to throw away $15 million to do that.

YeOldeBuccoFan: Like the new website layout. It's a lot easier to find stuff now. Any plans on making even more photos available to view on the site?

Jerry Micco: I'll talk with the Web folks about that. I'm glad you like the new format. We're always trying to make it easier for folks to navigate our site.

Joey_Bats: Jack Wilson has been playing very well since returning for his injury and has thus increased his trade value. Detroit offered a nice pitching prospect last season, so do you think there could be a market for him again and is it a move Huntington would want to make?

Jerry Micco: It might be one he'll look at if there's a very good prospect out there. But again, Wilson's replacement is Brian Bixler. He was not very good in his short stint up here. So while you might get a close to major-league ready pitcher for Wilson, you'd take a hit at shortstop. But because the Pirates are sellers, a Wilson trade certainly is not out of the question.

jimmy_g: Do the Penguins have any reasonable possibility of resigning Marian Hossa?

Jerry Micco: I think so. Very reasonable. Will it happen? Don't know. Probably at least a 50-50 chance though.

yzguy431: is the malkin deal done?

Jerry Micco: From what I've read, yes, except for some details. But those details aren't final as of yet, so it's not official.

yzguy431: do you think the pens will suffer the loss of roberts, malone, concklin, who else are they losing? can they recover?

Jerry Micco: Adam Hall, probably Laraque, probably Orpik. Can they survive? Absolutely. If they can get Hossa and Dany Sabourin becomes a more solid backup to Fleury then they should be fine. They can find parts for the guys they are losing. But if Hossa goes, that's a situation where there's no one out there with his game, so they do take a hit.

jimmy_g: Follow-up on the Pirates: How many days until Steeler training camp begins?

Jerry Micco: I believe it's 25 days.

Art_Vandelay: When will Eddie B be joining the chat brigade for the Steelers season, and how excited is he about it?

Jerry Micco: Ed will be chatting at some point around the opening or camp. Excited? He loves the back and forth.

YeOldeBuccoFan: Wouldn't you know it, the Bucs get 4 straight decent starts, and the bullpen messes up. If this team can get everything going at once, are they capable of running off a nice winning streak, maybe get 4 or 5 games over .500?

Jerry Micco: That's exactly why they cannot contend: They are not good enough in all their areas to make any type of run. Mediocre teams always have one part that's not working at some point. Yes, there are times when they can reel off four or five straight, but they'll always come back with a similar losing streak. They aren't consistent. Someone's hurt, or someone slumps or whatever. As my mother used to say, "it's always something."

theWellHungarian: are there any repurcussions that can come from a team when a news-source reports something that is completely false? That news source in Canada reported that the Pens offered a contract to Jagr, say this was all made up ... Can the team accuse that source of slander?

Jerry Micco: Well, slander is spoken word. Libel is the written word, and the aggrieved party has to show malice in that libel. Was there malice in what they wrote? I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think so. Does that organization have egg on its face? Yes. Is their credibility damaged? Sure. But there's not much anyone can do when a story is reported except acknowledge it, deny it, or have no comment at all.

Joey_Bats: What are your thoughts about batting the pitcher 8th? There were plenty of arguments for it presented by Dejan in his Q&A today and personally I like it.

Jerry Micco: Depends on the situation. Last night early, Duke was up with 2 on and 2 outs. That would have been Wilson had the lineup been the regular lineup. But I get the point that you want more guys in front of your big hitters. I do know they scored a ton of runs batting pitchers ninth all season.

jimmy_g: If the Penguins lose Marian Hossa where does that leave them in relation to their salary cap?

Jerry Micco: They'd have some money to spend for this season, but when Malkin's and Fleury's salaries kick in, that money's going to be gone in a moment. They'd have a bit of wiggle room this season because Malkin is still on the rookie salary as is Staal. Fleury's new salary would hit this year.

Barthmeier: Any word on what ESPN radio is doing with Madden's former time slot?

Jerry Micco: Nope. I heard on their station that they are doing public tryouts and offering a guy a six-month contract with the station. Don't know if it's Madden's slot, but that's one thing they're looking at. Seems they have a couple, three guys rotating into that spot now.

jimmy_g: Speaking of the Steelers, I'm still pretty nervous about the offensive line. All of the skill players in the world can't do much if the offensive line is a sieve.

Jerry Micco: The line will be a question mark all of camp. You have to think that Hartwig is an upgrade at center over Mahan. And that Starks' solid play at the end of the year could translate into his getting the RT slot back. That could move Colon inside, where he'd probably be more effective. Kendall Simmons was disappointing to me last year, but he's capable of being solid. A lot of questions and indeed, it could be an issue. I'm a bit worried about the defensive front, too.

theWellHungarian: Loved Cookie's column about Ryan Doumit & couldn't agree more ... A switch-hitting catcher that can hit for power is quite the commodity!

Jerry Micco: If he can stay healthy, he looks like a very solid, very good player. But he's got some of Nady in him. Always seems to miss parts of the season because he's injured.

Jerry: Who is Pitt's starting QB this year? Is Pitt disappointed in Pat Bostick thus far?

Jerry Micco: I think, from what I hear, Stull will start. I don't think they are disappointed in Bostick. I think Bostick could probably benefit from a redshirt year, so that could be the case. They've got a nice JUCO QB who could be a change of pace guy this year, so maybe they can redshirt Bostick. I think Pitt fans should be excited this season. They could win 9 games.

Joey_Bats: What is the update on Alverez? Are the Pirates making any ground with Boras? I'm not sure the 2nd rounder is a slam dunk to be signed, so is it possible that one or both of these guys are going to be signed and how much of a setback to the rebuilding project would that be?

Jerry Micco: Well, the common wisdom is they must sign Alvarez. And they'd like to get him probably a season and a half in the minors then bring him up. Now you're right, they may not be able to sign the No. 2 pick, the pitcher from Fresno, but Alvarez is the key. And if they lose him, then it's a sizeable setback.

jimmy_g: At least the new Pirate management appears to be sticking to their accountability philosophy (Paulino, pitchers, etc.). It's just too bad that the old management left the organization so weak on talent.

Jerry Micco: Well, again, I think the minors are depleted because of poor drafts but the guys who a lot of folks like now: Doumit, Duke, Maholm, McLouth, Bay, Nady, Wilson, are part of prior management. The fault lies in the fact that they tended to draft pitchers who were at best No. 4 starters and didn't draft position players all that well. Thus, what you've got is a minor leagues that can't really help the big club right now. McCutcheon, Walker and Pearce are the big 3, but I wonder if any of them could come up and play the rest of the season right now.

theWellHungarian: Edmonton has called for a presser at 11:30am (MST) ... Can this be announcing that they have come to terms with Hossa?

Jerry Micco: PG.com beat us to the punch and you won't believe it: Hossa's gone to the Red Wings.

yzguy431: any word on where ,if anywhere, madden is

Jerry Micco: I believe he's still in the Pittsburgh area.

Joey_Bats: John Russell is a first year manager, so there is going to be a learning curve, but doesn't it seem like he has no idea what he is doing with his pitching staff? His bullpen is exhaused, but he relieves Maholm after 90 pitches and Duke even earlier last night. Duke had a 3-0 lead, why not let him try to work his way out of the jam and give the guys in the pen and extra inning of rest? Instead he had to use Grabow in the 6th inning.

Jerry Micco: Well, it looked to me like Duke was headed for an inning he'd like to forget. And sometimes, you have to use your bullpen up because the starters just aren't all that reliable. I'm sure Duke wanted to stay in, but it looked to me like the Reds had started to solve him. I applaud Russell for doing that because sometimes I think he stayed too long with guys who were starting to get hit around. I think he's caught between a rock and a hard place with the pitchers. If the starters can keep going deep like Maholm did the other night, then that'll help.

theWellHungarian: is the whole Federer-Nadal rivalry good for tennis or bad? it seems like every major it comes down to these 2 in the finals. In my opinion, I'd like to see someone else challenge, but then again it is reminiscent of Agassi-Sampras, which was great

Jerry Micco: Or Connors, McEnroe. Or even moreso, Wilander-McEnroe. Sometimes, you have two such dominant players that it's going to go that way for some time. They are both great, so why not have them keep settling duels at the majors?

Art_Vandelay: How long is the Rich Rodriguez saga going to drag on? Has there ever been a more contentious situation between a University and a former coach?

Jerry Micco: Not that I can recall. And there is a lot of venom on both sides.

Barthmeier: Do people still care about the Olympics? I know I do not.

Jerry Micco: Most people don't, until they begin. It's the greatest sporting event in the world, but with all the doping incidents and politics that have surrounded the Games for some time, I know there is some luster that is clouding up.

jimmy_g: The nice thing about Doumit, Nady (and Bay when he isn't slumping) is they all make good contact in most of their at-bats. It's too bad that Nady (Scott Borris, free agent year) has to go for prospects.

Jerry Micco: As you all know, I'm a huge Nady guy. But he's a guy who can bring something in return and the Pirates have very few of those guys.

Art_Vandelay: I caught the end of something on the 'ESPN scroll' last night regarding the fact that JoePa's successor would be coming from the current staff. Has this person already been chosen?

Jerry Micco: Joe told the Altoona Mirror that the other day. We've not vetted that story, so I'm going to assume that what Joe says is true. But I didn't hear that from PSU president Graham Spanier. And eventually, it's Spanier's call.

jimmy_g: Oh no, the front page just reported that Hossa went to Detroit (like they really need help).

Jerry Micco: And the rich get richer. Wow, what an offense that's going to be.

Joey_Bats: Were you surprised the Steelers cut Davenport? What happens if they have a RB injury in camp? They could have waited until camp was over before they made the move.

Jerry Micco: Absolutely not. From what I thought was a pretty lackluster year, to the off-field issues, that was a good cut. Mewelde Moore is a nice back and they really like Gary Russell, the 2nd-year FA from Minnesota. And Rashard Mendenhall is going to be used some this year for sure. They have some depth there. And of course, you'll have enough FAs to run around in camp so Willie Parker doesn't take a pounding.

Joey_Bats: Empty Netters was busy yesterday.

Jerry Micco: It's a busy time of year for our hockey folks.

YeOldeBuccoFan: Who takes Ryan Malone's place on the ice? Is he on the current roster, or is he someone they have to bring in?

Jerry Micco: You wonder if Staal can fill that role. He seems like a likely candidate. And I'm not sure what's out there, but again, you may be able to find a guy who is a veteran player, like Sykora, who you can get at good value and can put together a 25-goal season. They are out there, you just have to find them at the right price.

theWellHungarian: You're kidding me? Detroit? I just threw my Hossa T-Shirt Jersey in the trash ... Let's get Jagr!

Jerry Micco: The Wings are just going to be awesome with that guy. And maybe now who knows, the Pens start to look at what Jagr's going to cost. I think they can do better for their lockerroom that Jags, but what matters is on the ice.

YeOldeBuccoFan: The Red Wings? They need Hossa like they need a hole in the head. I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. How did they find room in their cap?

Jerry Micco: A lot of the Wings star players are mid-round draft picks from Europe who came pretty cheap. The day will come when they have a big payday, but it's not now. And it'll be interesting to see how long Hossa signed for. I think he wanted six years. We'll see.

chooch79: Have you finalized any plans yet for the PG's Olympic coverage?

Jerry Micco: Finalized? No, not yet. We're mainly going to cover the exploits of Lauryn Williams, but we'll keep Shelly Anderson busy while she's in Beijing.

Barthmeier: As for the RichRod situation, and I know it is probably tough for you, but it looks like Chuck Finder has become a mouthpiece for Rod. That is the perception from many WVU people such as myself.

Jerry Micco: Well, perception is one thing, fact is another. Fact is, Chuck has reported both sides of this issue pretty thoroughly. WVU fans, and this is true of fans of any team they are no exception, read what they want to read and believe what they want to believe. So be it. From Chuck's reporting, I've gleaned there to be problems on both sides of this issue. I will say WVU has not been that forthcoming with information. And the bottom line is this is a he-said, he-said story. I guess we'll see how it turns out in court.

charleston_charlies Any chance on Satan coming to the Pens?

Jerry Micco: Unless the Devils get him for what would be the best marketing campaign in the NHL. Just kidding. Certainly a guy on the Pens watch list. So now they may be shifting their sights there.

PirateApologist: It is a good thing that the Red Wings don't play here that often. Hossa will be booed harder than Barry Bonds and Jagr combined his first time back.

Jerry Micco: I see no reason to boo Marian Hossa. He played very well here and was their best two-way player in the playoffs. Everyone knew there was a chance he'd not be back. That was the risk. The reward was he got you to the Cup final. I don't blame guys for chasing money. But in this case, there's money and a chance to win a Cup right at his fingertips. A no-brainer.

YeOldeBuccoFan: TSN Canada is saying Hossa signed for 1 year, at 7.4 million. What????

Jerry Micco: Again, he may see this as a chance to win it all. I've not seen those numbers and we've not reported it yet, but if that's true, then he saw a chance in Detroit as better than a chance in Pittsburgh. And he may be right.

PhillyMarty: I think Shero totally misread the market. Never thought Hossa would stay, but gritty types like Malone and Orpik are tough to replace, and while these types might not be great regular season players, they are the type that win cups. Would rather overpay a bit to keep them. But once you give them the chance to shop the market history shows the player rarely stays.

Jerry Micco: Well, they've not lost Orpik yet, but if you pay him $4 million, that's money that goes to a guy who can play a bit on the power play and give you some offense. I like Orpik, but he's a one-dimentional guy. And at $4 million, you might be overpaying. Malone, again, has one career year. Maybe he's hit his stride, but maybe because you must pay Malkin, Crosby and Fleury, and now probably Staal, you risk losing some ancillary pieces. In this case, Malone's one. Orpik's not gone yet, though.

Barthmeier: I guess you missed where Chuck Finder was named in the deposition then Jerry

Jerry Micco: Nope, I saw it. What WVU fans read into it was that it was cooked up by Chuck. I'm sure it's not the only time a reporter has been mentioned by someone as being "friendly" to them. Check the record, you probably didn't, to see if indeed there was a story written after that was stated. There was not. We were contacted, as were other media. We passed on that story. As we have a lot of others. What folks don't see is what stories get passed on by reporters. Take off the blinders a bit and you'll see it's still a he-said/he-said story when you get down to it. But both sides have had their say in our newspaper.

chooch79: Is there any truth to the rumor that Howard Baldwin has resurfaced in Detroit?

Jerry Micco: Good line.

PirateApologist: Jerry, I would never boo Hossa. I am just saying, this is the way people feel.

Jerry Micco: Some people, yes. But I don't know, I like to think people respect what he did here in the short time he was here. It's a new NHL and guys are constantly coming and going. We need to get used to that.

Jerry Micco: OK folks, need to go. Interesting times with NHL free agency and the Pirates. Soon, the Steelers will be in the mix. Have a great July 4 weekend and we'll see you next Wednesday at noon.