Capn: Can we be encouraged that Perry Hill and the Pirates are still talking? If his major issue was that the center of the infield was traded, there is not really anything to discuss since that can't be changed. Have chances improved that he might return?

Dejan Kovacevic: Good morning, all. Before we roll, I seek in advance some forgiveness for going slow today on our full hour. My dying laptop no longer can handle Java, so I again am forced to use my wife's Mac, which I enjoy about as much as Paul Maholm likes seeing Bill Hall in the batter's box. ... Yes, it should be considered encouraging that Hill and the team are talking early this week. Nothing is done in either direction. The impression I get is that, if the Pirates step up and pay, they will get their man. The Pirates can ill afford, given the plan they have in place, to not have elite instruction. This guy, as we saw this year, might be the best. Imagine a 99-loss team leading the majors in defense.

AZBucsFan: Hi Dejan, Thanks for the great coverage all season. Does management expect Brad Lincoln to challenge for a spot in the rotation in the spring?

Dejan Kovacevic: No, not really. Lincoln is going to be in the Andrew McCutchen mode, where he will not be ruled out, but he would have to look like Sandy Koufax in the spring to address what management sees as areas he needs to develop. (And never forget the money/contractual factor in these things, too.)

CityOfChampions: Frank Coonelly stated in this morning's story that the Pirates could "add players through the free agent and/or trade markets". Who could they possibly have left to trade?

Dejan Kovacevic: Matt Capps stands out, in my mind. He was offered last year at the Winter Meetings, and he surely will be again this winter. On one hand, that looks like it might not be all that smart on the part of the club, being that Capps' value has never been lower. On the other, there always seem to be teams willing to overpay for closers.

Still_Optimistic: Dejan, really enjoy and appreciate all your great work this year. Any scoop on who on the roster was asked to play winter ball but turned it down? And what might their motives be? (Think they can do more to improve on their own, just don't wanna...?)

Dejan Kovacevic: I asked around about that quite a bit, but it turned out to be for naught. It was nobody on the major league roster. Rather, Neal Huntington was trying to make a general point to send a signal to guys in the minors who were turning it down. I do not know which players those were, but I do know it was not guys who ended the year in Pittsburgh.

Robbiesdad: I recall two stories written during Spring Training - one featuring Eric Hinske saying how he believed the '09 Pirates could be just as successful as the '08 Rays. In another, Freddy Sanchez talked of how this was the best Spring Training he'd had as a Pirate, with a "different, more positive feel" (paraphrasing). My question is simply "What happened"? What made Eric Hinske so anxious to leave town? Why didn't that great Bradenton atmosphere translate to success once the team came north? Was it as simple as a lack of talent? Bad eggs like Craig Monroe in the clubhouse? Or was it just "the seven letters stitched on the uniform"? Sorry to be so verbose.

Dejan Kovacevic: Actually, it did kind of translate for a little while. Remember, the team started out 11-7 and, even as late as June, was only a handful of games out of first place, if memory serves. That was part of what made the Nate McLouth trade so jarring in the clubhouse. They felt, right or wrong, that things were just starting to come together when the rug was pulled out.

Joey_Bats: Who gets the NL Rookie of the Year? Our 2 guys get serious consideration?

Dejan Kovacevic: They absolutely will get serious consideration, McCutchen for his overall production, the Legend for his 21 home runs in half a season. But I cannot see either getting it. I do not have a vote in this category, but I would lean toward Atlanta pitcher Tommy Hanson.

Capn: If Andy LaRoche moves to 2nd, who will play 3rd? How about giving Neil Walker a chance to see what he can do until Pedro Alvarez gets called up. I'm not sure it would be good for Alvarez to start the season w/ the major league team. It just seems too early to me.

Dejan Kovacevic: Sounds like a plan. Give Walker the same chance Brandon Moss and Steve Pearce had. But all that depends on Walker showing that it was his final two months that were the norm rather than the aberration.

Oshkoshbuccofan: Perhaps the derisive use of Pirates merchandise on SNL will create an unintended boon for Pirate marketing. An attractive, talented actress like Kristen Wiig wearing Pirates attire might make it fashionable in an ironic coolness way to wear Pirates merchandise. Or perhaps thay could tear down your beloved Pirates Charities sign and replace it with a billboard proclaiming the Pirates as the official team of Norway ...

Dejan Kovacevic: Wow, the stuff that gets discussed with this franchise. Yes, Ms. Wiig was, indeed, wearing a handsome Pirates jacket as part of the skit. No immediate word on some sales uptick. I am guessing she will not match Chuck D's impact on Pirates-wearing culture.

fed_up_fan: Who do you see being removed from the 40 man roster this off season?

Dejan Kovacevic: Depends on the number of spots needed, but I could envision 4-5, maybe more, being removed without breaking a sweat.

Mr_Xiaoqi: The embarrassments never stops with the Pirate front office. The Sano saga is truly amazing. Where would you pin down the most blame? ... And how early do you think it started to fizzle with Sano's agent?

Dejan Kovacevic: Each agent/client with whom a team deals is different, and each needs to be handled that way. Rob Plummer has his own way of doing things, and the Pirates never adjusted. You can blame Plummer for having his own way, the Pirates for not adjusting, or even the kid should you feel compelled to fault a teenager in any way. As noted in print yesterday, something went wrong on the Pirates' end. They need to learn from it. They need to learn that international free agents cannot be treated like draft picks, which is exactly how the Pirates handled this one, including going right to the family.

Mr_Xiaoqi: The Ascanio fiasco is HUGE black mark on Huntington and his staff. How could he not know that the Cubs were shipping "soon to be" damaged goods?!

Dejan Kovacevic: There was a medical exam, and Ascanio himself told me more than once he never experienced the tiniest bit of shoulder pain until after the trade. (Specifically, when it began hurting during the series in Denver.)

RichP: Does all of the losing wear on you as you basically are surrounded by it for 7 months?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not in the slightest, and I hope the coverage reflects that. But it does wear on the people who are the actual subject matter, and that in and of itself can make things more difficult. The overwhelming majority of the people who work for the Pirates, including the athletes, are extremely professional, and that is appreciated. But it is not universal.

fed_up_fan: Hi, Dejan, would you choose another team to write about if you were given the opportunity?

Dejan Kovacevic: Never. Not another team in town, and most definitely not anything in another town. Not just saying that, either. People who know me can attest. A reporter is most concerned about the accumulation of news, and having the knowledge and background of the franchise from being born and raised here, coupled with having added sources each of my five years ... no way.

bucs1789: Will McCutchen sign an extension this offseason? Will he be offered one?

Dejan Kovacevic: No, that will not happen. McCutchen has a long way to go before he is arbitration-eligible, even, so the Pirates would have nothing much to gain by locking in guaranteed dollars, certainly not as it relates to protecting themselves against -- dare anyone say it? -- a major injury.

fed_up_fan: Can we expect the Pirates to draft Bryce Harper next June if the Nationals pass on him or the Pirates going to pick somebody that will be easier to sign?

Dejan Kovacevic: Maybe. I get the sense that the Pirates are not as pumped about Harper as Sports Illustrated was in calling him the LeBron James of baseball. They do like him, but nowhere near as much as they liked Stephen Strasburg.

znc1: Is Neil Walker going to be learning new positions, like outfield and/or second base in winter ball? He looks like an odd man out next season in Pittsburgh and Indy at 3B.

Dejan Kovacevic: Again, sounds like a plan. But, yet again, he has to hit.

rmackowiak: Will the Pirates go with Garrett Jones at first next year, with Moss in right until Tabata is ready to play right, or will the Pirates use Clement at first and keep Jones in right? If the second scenario is true what happens to Tabata?

Dejan Kovacevic: Seems quite counter-productive, some might say, that Jones was bounced back and forth from first base to right field these past three months in an attempt to see what the Pirates had in a couple of .240 hitters in Steve Pearce and Brandon Moss. If Jones is anything approaching the hitter he just showed in this half-season, he needs to find a home -- he prefers first base, but is palatable in the outfield -- for good.

MarkInDallas: When looking at the individual performances of the MLB players that we acquired in trades, only Brandon Moss has worse numbers on the Pirates than he did with his previous club. Since almost all the players we acquired have improved from their previous output, is management really surprised that the wins and losses were as bad as they were? They certainly could have been worse believe it or not.

Dejan Kovacevic: The higher-ups did not expect the offense to be as catastrophically bad as it was. That was the part that threw everyone. They liked the pitching, and they thought the defense would survive so long as Delwyn Young could play second. But the offense just fell off a cliff, and it covered nearly everyone except Jones, McCutchen and Lastings Milledge.

SerenityNow_: Have you heard anything from the players regarding how often/little John Russell communicates with them. If it's only every two weeks or so, isn't that highly unusual for an MLB team?

Dejan Kovacevic: Russell is not much of a talker, in general. He has to be approached. At the same time, he is plenty approachable, and the players who take advantage of that always have an open door, as I have been told by many of them. There is some grumbling from a few about a lack of feedback, but nothing close to that extent. ... An example: When Ryan Doumit was struggling a month or so ago, I saw Russell go into the clubhouse, pull up a stool by his stall and help him with a crossword puzzle. Might sound like nothing, but it was a clear sign to Doumit that the manager was there for him. ... Again, I do not doubt that players complain about Russell, but it is way, way limited as compared to complaints about Jim Tracy in this regard. ... I assume you are referencing the Beaver County Times column this morning on that topic. I can add here, unequivocally, that the other portion of that piece -- about the drill-sergeant snickers -- is pinpoint accurate. For those who want to read it, I have it l

SerenityNow_: Ankiel has been mentioned as a possible free agent signing. If nobody is signed for RF or 1B, wouldn't the RF job be essentially handed to Moss? Would Young be a possibility there is a 2B is signed or Andy moved there? Do you get the feeling a starting position player will be signed in the offseason? It seems unlikely to me.

Dejan Kovacevic: No. Jeff Clement could play first, and Jones could go to right. But that will not happen. Clement is not a major league defensive first baseman right now, if he ever will be. ... This is why the Pirates would like to sign a right or left fielder, whichever fits best as a free agent, and it is why they really like the idea of adding Rick Ankiel. Ankiel would play left, Milledge right. If someone genuinely pushes Ankiel, like Tabata, he can be traded.

donwengert: Has Rene Gayo's stature within the organization taken a hit? He was hired to bring in top-flight talent, but it appears that he was largely responsible for bungling the Sano negotiations. He, of all people, should have known how to handle these kinds of negotiations with Latin American prospects. Isn't that his job?

Dejan Kovacevic: Gayo was extremely aggressive in going after Sano, even doing things like driving across the Dominican -- trust me, no easy feat -- to collect data, paperwork and other stuff to fortify his age arguments. And he went hard after the player and the family. That is how Gayo always has done things, and his personal touch usually has paid off. But that has been the case with the players in the $20,000-$80,000 range, not anyone like Sano. Fact is, this was Gayo's first seven-figure guy he was chasing. He surely learned a lot from it. ... Second, it bears repeating that it was Huntington doing the actual negotiating with Rob Plummer. ... Third, the other side -- Plummer, the client and his family -- were no less emotionally engulfed in this process. Trust me on that.

RichP: Why would Rene Gayo want to work for the Pirates if he is widely regarded. Wouldn'the rather work for a team that will give me the money to spend?

Dejan Kovacevic: Gayo is quite confident he had the money to get Sano, including the money the Twins ended up paying. Ask Gayo, and he will tell you a big, big part of his loyalty toward the Pirates is related to working for Bob Nutting, who completely won him over with how he handled building the Dominican facility, as well as adding to Gayo's scouting staff. Gayo could fill a good hour with you on a bar stool extolling the virtues of the Pirates' ownership. (Probably not something heard often on Pittsburgh bar stools.)

omar_moreno_fan: What was your opinion on the post-game atmosphere after the last home game? Seemed the players got out of Dodge early. I didn't see a 'Solomon Torres' or 'Jack Wilson' type of gesture to the fans this year. Did I miss something from my vantage point behind the first base dugout?

Dejan Kovacevic: I always watch for that, after the fiasco a couple years ago. Initially, the players all went into the tunnel, but it was only a matter of seconds before Paul Maholm, then several other players were out throwing freebies to the fans. And this was spontaneous, too. The day before, with fan appreciation day, that was all orchestrated.

Polka: Have you talked to Jack or Freddy much since the trades in July? Do you think they made a mistake by not taking the Pirates offers?

Dejan Kovacevic: I have communicated with those players and others recently traded, as I always do. Each is a different case. Sanchez was much, much more focused on his frustration at being hurt than any kind of contractual regrets. Wilson was similar, but add in the frustration of adjusting to the American League.

SprJudd: Frank Coonelly says he is open to extending the deals of Neal Huntington and John Russell. Any idea how much more time either of them have to produce a winner before Coonelly is no longer open to extending them?

Dejan Kovacevic: One thing that has to happen, at some point, is that the Pirates' baseball operations focuses more on Pittsburgh, and that is one of several subjects I will address in my final article in tomorrow's paper. The time to add bulk of prospects by avenues other than the draft and international signings has to end some time. And, plain and simple, the Pirates themselves have to stop regressing at some point. One would think, to answer your question, that they had better make significant improvement in 2010. Not to suggest either is in trouble Neither is, as Coonelly's quote this morning suggested. And he is walking a fine line of not wanting either to go for quick fixes to save their jobs, as he said. But there has to be a bottom eventually.

znc1: Do you think Delwyn Young's devout concentration to defense the last month or two of the season contributed to his offensive slump? It sounds like he kept working hard and kept a positive attitude, but his approach seemed to have changed in August.

Dejan Kovacevic: There is no question the Pirates wore down young. And that Young was a willing and enthusiastic participant. He saw this as a great chance, maybe a singular chance, to prove himself an everyday player in the majors, and I think he saw second base as being the best place for it. But 1-2 hours of grounders every day ... hey, no way that did not take a toll on his hitting. Young always has been able to hit, and he suddenly stopped.

BugOnRug: Hi DK, How's your family going to adjust to having you around regularly again? On a baseball note, and sorry if this was already asked, during the Cincy broadcast yesterday they were stating that Perry Hill would not be back next season. Is this a fact now? Or did they just state what's going on incorrectly? Thanks, and enjoy your time off. We'll miss you.

Dejan Kovacevic: The very small children seemed to be excited initially, but now I am typing on the Mac that my son uses to watch "real train crashes" on YouTube, so I already am becoming a nuisance. ... Hill and the Pirates continue to talk.

donwengert: Any regrets internal about Lastings Milledge. The Pirates talk as if they are very pleased with him, but an OPS of .729, which is what he put up as a Pirate, is below average for a corner outfielder.

Dejan Kovacevic: Milledge's power did not arrive until late in the season, as you saw, and the Pirates' thinking is that his power was going to be the last thing to return after his hand injury. Milledge assured me that the injury itself was no longer an issue, but acknowledged that it did take him time to rebuild the strength in there. Same thing with Ryan Doumit and his wrist. ... Milledge hit 14 home runs with Washington last year as a rookie and began to hit some this year late in the year. Probably merits a little patience in this area.

SantaBarbara: I must first thank you for your professional insight. As one who grew up watching Roberto Clemente at Forbes Field and now living in California, I'm indebted to you. Boy was your 17 best/worst article spot on.

Dejan Kovacevic: I appreciate that and hope you like the last piece tomorrow. It's 10 things, in descending order, that the Pirates need to do to take a step forward in 2010.

Chap_Lipman: Who will have the next statue outside PNC Park?

Dejan Kovacevic: The Legend?

Winning_is_not_the_goal: When is Bud Selig's term up? Based on your interview last week with him, he sidestepped the question about a salary cap, instead choosing to answer about "slotting" and how important that is. Will we see a cap after he is set out to pasture?

Dejan Kovacevic: I did not get the impression he sidestepped the cap question. He just has no intent of pushing for one. Seems like he and MLB will taking a pick-your-battles approach to the next labor talks. ... The only way MLB will ever have a salary cap is if the owners summon the collective will. Too much emphasis gets placed on how tough the union is. That is not nearly as important as how fragmented ownership is. There are a good number of teams -- New York, Los Angeles, Chicago -- who like things just fine the way they are. In the NHL, nearly everyone was losing money, so the atmosphere was different.

danw: Your response about the possibility of Ankiel signing underscores the difficulty the PBC would have in attracting FAs. It's the day after the season and we're already talking about trading him!

Dejan Kovacevic: Depends. Someone like Ankiel needs to show he can bounce back from a bad year, as well as his need to show he can hit lefties. The Pirates might offer the best situation for that, even if in a short-term sense.

Bucsin09: When will regular coverage by yourself resume? Winter Meetings? Thanks for all of your excellent work!

Dejan Kovacevic: The week before the Winter Meetings. But Chuck Finder will be around to handle whatever pops up in the interim.

Jimmy: I thought the trades were a great move by Neal Huntington - rebuilds the farm and gives a lot of money to spend this winter. Now Sano has signed elsewhere, there's no commitment that the payroll will remain at the level entering this season, and there's no plans for signing a top fee agent pitcher. If the franchise wasn't already a joke, it is in danger of becoming one.

Dejan Kovacevic: Trades are only "great" as they relate to execution, not the intent, not the plan. It remains to be seen how they pan out. The only one that really looks dubious at the moment is the Grabow/Gorzelanny trade, but even the Jason Bay trade still has the book open. Imagine, for instance, if Andy LaRoche really does become a reliable, productive everyday second baseman, and Bryan Morris, the top target in that exchange, becomes a front-line starter. Those are ifs, obviously, but neither can be ruled out.

fed_up_fan: Who do you think will win the WS this year?

Dejan Kovacevic: The best team I saw in the National League was St. Louis. Did not see nearly enough of the American League to know if the Cardinals can be beaten, but I will take Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright and others in a short playoff series, and I will take the best player in the game.

MarkInDallas: I appreciate your work on the Sano case. That was some of the most helpful coverage of the year, and it's obvious you really went above and beyond to get it. On the Dominican academy, do you think you could do a piece that outlines what goes on there on a daily basis and how that might help the Pirates outside of high profile prospects such as Sano?

Dejan Kovacevic: An awful lot went into the Sano coverage, which is one reason, strictly from a professional standpoint, I can acknowledge some disappointment that he ended up with the Twins. I can tell you know that my editors and I were enthusiastically ready to go to the Dominican to do a full, on-the-spot story on the kid, with videos and everything, treating Sano every bit like the special signing he would have been. From a reporter's standpoint, that would have been a ton of fun. ... Yes, I'd like to go back someday and do the kind of piece you describe. ... Two more ...

PirateApologist: Look at it outside. Wouldn't tonight be a great night for post-season baseball at PNC?

Dejan Kovacevic: Honestly, I am well past the point where I can even picture that. I used to do that when the place opened. Not anymore. With Three Rivers Stadium, there were at least the memories of good, meaningful baseball. PNC Park never has seen that.

too_much_losing: Do you think Duke will be offered a longer contract or just arbitration?

Dejan Kovacevic: No approach was made by the team to the player and, really, I would be surprised if one was, based on the upfront bonus just before trading McLouth, based on feeling stung by extensions for Ian Snell and Matt Capps. They might just work out the standard one-year arbitration deal and go year to year.

Justin: Who will be the Pirates 2010 opening day starter?

Dejan Kovacevic: Was thinking about this just yesterday, driving out of Cincinnati. I would say that whichever pitcher of Duke or Ross Ohlendorf looks sharpest out of spring training. ... Thanks so much for this and for your intensive interest -- and participation -- in these chats all summer long. Seriously, you people are just nuts, and you proved it beyond any reasonable doubt this year. ... Again, one final article tomorrow ...

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