Dejan Kovacevic chat transcript

Share with others:

Tweet

Do you think the Casey trade today was just another salary dump?

Dejan Kovacevic: First off, welcome to all. Looks a little crowded in here, which I guess makes sense given the time element. ... The Pirates are saving roughly $2.5 million by moving Casey at this time, and they are taking on no cash, so the money aspect of it is pretty clear. As for whether or not it was just another dump, I'd have to say that depends on how the rest of the day goes and whether or not Casey was moved to clear space for another first baseman.

PensFan: What can you tell us about the newly acquired Brian Rogers?

Dejan Kovacevic: He is 6-4, right-handed and doesn't throw very hard at all. But he has shown impeccable control since the Tigers moved him to relief before last season, with a 69-14 strikeout-walk ratio. And the number I liked best was his 0.98 WHIP. For most everyone but Brian O'Neill, I will explain that this means the number of walks and hits he gives up per inning. It is very low, and this is a key number for a reliever. Is he a setup guy? Hard to say, with that kind of stuff. But command will take a guy far.

BigKahuna: Dejan, at the time I'm writing this, the only news so far has been the Casey trade. If this is any indication on the kinds of trades Littlefield will be pulling over the next two and a half hours or so, forget it.

Dejan Kovacevic: That has been pretty much the indication all along. Outside the Ryan Shealy inquiries -- which surely would involve giving up a young player or two -- the focus has been on moving the veterans who are eligible for free agency. It should never surprise anyone when the return is modest in those cases.

Goose: What was the driver behind the Pirates not signing Sean Casey? Was it just money? Not knowing a whole lot about the AA prospect, but he does not seem so valuable that the Pirates could not have continued to try to sign Casey.

Dejan Kovacevic: No. As I reported a couple months ago, ownership actually authorized Dave Littlefield to sign Casey to an extension if he saw fit. He did not. The part that surprised me was this: The reasons I have picked up on have less to do with his lack of power than his lack of range at first. As we have seen this year, the Pirates are not blessed with strikeout pitchers. They need guys to make plays behind them. Casey made those plays when the ball was hit right at him, but there is no question the range was limited.

BigKahuna: Don't you think that the pitcher we got for Casey should have been the types of guys we got for Burnitz or Randa, not Casey?

Dejan Kovacevic: Usually, the return can be some type of starter, though not necessarily a very good one. I have not had a chance to ask the Pirates about this choice yet -- they are unavailable until later in the afternoon -- but I have to guess they liked the idea of a reliever with sound control. ... Either that, or they simply were not offered much by anyone. ... Either that, or they waited too long.

MPM: Is the Casey trade setting up another deal? It would seem that the Pirates are pretty set with right handed relievers, especially with Sharpless and Bayliss in AAA.

Dejan Kovacevic: Well, that would be looking pretty far ahead. Rogers is not ready to step into the majors by any stretch of the imagination and, as you point out, Sharpless, Bayliss and maybe even veteran Scott Strickland are in Indianapolis ready to come up. I think it's just a matter of taking what's there.

FollowTheSon: Dejan, it seems like the Pirates farm system is over-loaded with pitching and no real hitting prospects. Shouldn't we be getting offense in return for these trades?

Dejan Kovacevic: The farm system is not "overloaded" with any commodity, to be generous. I find it curious at times to hear the Pirates referring to positional needs. They need players at most positions at all levels, with few exceptions. ... But I do share your view that offense is paramount.

Brett: Who do you think is the next Pirate to go?

Dejan Kovacevic: Roberto Hernandez, most likely to the Yankees. But we will see. Still some time left here. I would imagine Craig Wilson will be close behind, but not to New York.

TradeBuff: It has been written recently that Littlefield is difficult to deal with. His answer to your question refuted this claim. From everything you have heard/witnessed, what is your opinion?

Dejan Kovacevic: My opinion is that this was reported in one New York tabloid and snowballed over the past couple of weeks by an awful lot of parroting. That does not mean it isn't true -- only MLB executives could say for sure, and they don't make a habit of taking potshots at each other -- but it does explain, I think, how it suddenly became an issue. ... Consider this possibility: The Yankees aren't getting what they want, so one team official says to one reporter that the guy in Pittsburgh's tough to deal with, knowing full well it will be printed. That comes back here and, in theory, applies pressure on the Pirates to up the ante.

GoBallGetOuttaHere: What is the approach at 1st Base with Casey gone? Does Dave make a serious push for Shealy? Does Craig stay put and actually get playing time?

Dejan Kovacevic: If the Pirates have their way, they will not fall short in the bidding for Ryan Shealy. If that doesn't happen ... well, all indicators are Craig Wilson wouldn't get into the lineup right now if he had 800 home runs to his credit, so I'm guessing Joe Randa.

FollowTheSon: Dejan, We MUST have Ryan Shealy! Do you agree?

Dejan Kovacevic: I see that as being a very important aspect to the day, yes. Such players are not readily made available, least of all for the fairly modest price of middle relief.

afail: Dejan, Do you think we will ever be buyers?

Dejan Kovacevic: It hasn't happened since Shawon Dunston in 1997, and I'm not holding my breath to the next one. That said, if the Pirates were to set aside money while filling holes with legitimate, long-term players -- and be trusted to use that money at some point -- one could envision a scenario in which it could be used at this time of year for something more productive than paying people to go away.

Scott: The Indians GM has been making some deals for a few weeks now and seems to have got some decent chips in return. Some of the players deal were guys who were free agents or older players. They got Hector Luna for a Ron Belliard. I don't consider Ron Belliard a superstar but at least Cleveland got a major league caliber player for him. Why cant the Pirates do this?

Dejan Kovacevic: Cleveland's Mark Shapiro has done a lot of terrific thing, not just this year but since he has been there. In this case, there certainly is something to be said for not waiting until the last minute. But, more important, I think, is that the Indians are not shy about moving players at age 30 or so if they know they can trade down in age and experience. We have not seen the Pirates make such moves. They rent players, lose right up to the deadline, then try to move them at perhaps the lowest value of their careers. And then, when the deadline hits, everyone is angry -- some surprised -- when the return is low.

Rich: Was there any indication whether Casey would be brought back via free agency, ala Mark Recchi

Dejan Kovacevic: None. Recchi was a rare case, in that he has a home here and really, really wanted to come back. Casey would have been happy to stay, but he was not in the really-really category.

JollyRoger: 2 sellouts over the weekend. But hey, this isn't a baseball town, right?

Dejan Kovacevic: A market is only as small as those running the business view it. Invest in the product, and the fans will come out.

Reid: Do you think there is any chance that the trade of Casey without having to pick up salary, since they didn't get much in return, could be one of a series to free up money to re-sign Kip Wells? Could they be thinking that he is turning the corner after his last few start?

Dejan Kovacevic: Wells has not been offered an extension by the Pirates, and I have gotten no indication he will. He probably would have to do more than turn the corner. He would have to blow the whole wall out.

Pickman: Chris Duffy is tearing it up in AAA, since his return has he played in AAA with the approach that Tracy asked of him in spring training or returned to what made him successful last year? And if Duffy has returned to old style, should he make the major league roster in Aug or Sept, does Tracy accept that style this time around?

Dejan Kovacevic: We could find out soon. Duffy is quickly reaching the point of doing almost too well in Class AAA to hang around. It will make for a very interesting situation when he returns. I can tell you that no one in Pirates management feels any mistake was made regarding the handling of Duffy early on.

matt622h: If no one snatches up Craig Wilson, do you see them trying to resign him or letting him go for nothing?

Dejan Kovacevic: I think the Pirates' management would sooner play in traffic than re-sign Wilson.

FollowTheSon: Dejan, if the Pirates don't get Shealy, is there a chance they get one of the Giants first baseman? (Niekro/Ishawkia)

Dejan Kovacevic: Talks with the Giants were alive as of yesterday, though that seemed more focused on San Francisco getting bullpen help. I believe the Pirates' objective is Shealy.

JollyRoger: Gorzelanny looked sharp on Saturday. Would you expect him to be a part of the rotation next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: And for many years to come, barring some huge step backward. He is left-handed, has a whole bunch of pitches, throws very hard and has a history of good control. I would venture to guess his future in Pittsburgh is as solid as anyone in the current rotation.

Dr._J: Have you ever gotten a sense that Dave Littlefield is frustrated at the ownership's lack of financial commitment?

Dejan Kovacevic: No, and there is cause for that. Ownership raised payroll by $12 million, and the Pirates, as we speak, are trying to give away all of the players acquired with that money for very little return.

Scott: 2 hours and counting. Mr. Whiff - a.k.a. J. Burnitz is still a Pirate. Couldn't we have included him in the Detroit deal?

Dejan Kovacevic: Apparently not. Detroit was the one team I had heard actually consider the possibility and, the moment the Casey deal crystallized, it seemed even clearer Burnitz was not going anywhere. But there still is time to move him, especially if he keeps hitting as he has this month. No question he could clear waivers in August.

Dave_C.: Since the all-star break the Pirates have played well and are finally winning the close ball games. What do the players believe is making the difference?

Dejan Kovacevic: No secret to this: They have gotten all kinds of starting pitching and, as a result, the bullpen has looked as good as it could have looked all season. And the offense, really, has not done that much different when you look at the numbers. One could point, I suppose, to the clutch hits we have seen of late and again yesterday. But I would argue the Pirates were getting all kinds of clutch hits early in the season, but that they simply needed a ton more of them to make up for the starters' poor work.

Jay: Does Oliver Perez have any suitors? What could we possibly get in return?

Dejan Kovacevic: If he had any -- and his name came up almost never -- he surely shooed them away with that one-third of an inning the other night.

NittanyCy: Are the Pirates the worst franchise in professional sports?

Dejan Kovacevic: That is not an opinion at this point. No team has had a longer streak of losing, and the Pirates currently are second-worst in their sport.

matt622h: Shealy has 41 games of major league experience... let's not jump off the Clemente bridge if we don't get him...

Dejan Kovacevic: Only a week in Florida has me contemplating such an act.

Jay: Does a lack of good deals this deadline mean Littlefield is skating on thin ice with the owners?

Dejan Kovacevic: First off, there remains time before the deadline. Second, no, there is no hint in that regard. Remember, we are only four months removed from his receiving an extension.

dave: Can we expect to see a call up of Sharpless or Neil Walker this year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Sharpless could be up very soon, depending maybe on what happens today. Walker could get promoted, too, to Altoona if he keeps destroying the ball as he has the past two weeks. Two more home runs last night.

Dodderick: How will the clubhouse chemistry change with Casey gone?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not at all. Casey was a wonderful human being and, by all accounts, a terrific teammate. But the core of this team belongs to Jason Bay and a few other players with a long-term investment in it.

Dave_C.: Dejan... you just hit 100 people in the chat... that means you have to extend the session by 30 minutes

Dejan Kovacevic: Nope. Sorry. Back to work. Lucky to have hit a lull here in the afternoon with the phone ringing only once while I was doing this. See you all in the Q&A Friday, and be sure to check the main page on this site for updates throughout the day.