dcat: Will we see competition for 3rd base next year, or will Andy LaRoche be handed the job?

Dejan Kovacevic: First off, hello to one and all on another spectacular day for Cubs fans to watch baseball at Pittsburgh's ballpark. ... Bluntly, no, I cannot envision there being competition at third. Andy LaRoche was acquired at significant expense, and management will give him every chance to succeed. ... It is one thing to give up on a predecessor's players, quite another to do so with one's own.

MPM: Does John Van Benschoten get a September recall to see if he can be an effective reliever for the Pirates? If not, what's the point of him still being on the 40 man roster?

Dejan Kovacevic: Valid point. Van Benschoten has pitched well his last two times out for Indianapolis and, most important, thrown strikes. Would seem to be a good time to find out if his stuff translates to the bullpen at the top level. ... That said, I have not heard his name in the September bracket.

JRsCatatonicLdopa: It is pretty evident to myself as well as many of your readers that Ryan Doumit should not be a catcher anymore. I think at least some of the starting Pitchers downfall this year can be directly attributed to Doumit's poor catching skills & pitch calling....has there been any talk about the Pirates moving him from behind the dish? While his hitting is intriguing, he is still far too injury prone to man a position that places people at increased risk for injury.

Dejan Kovacevic: If you want to speak for yourself, that is your right. But you are very, very much in the minority as far as the mail I get. And you would be alone on an island in the middle of the Pacific when discussing this with baseball evaluators. ... The priority is offense, even at that position. All Doumit needs to be is adequate behind the plate.

jonoz: Dejan, First I want to thank you for the work you do. I really enjoy it. Some in the blogosphere think what Huntington is doing now is the first TRUE rebuilding phase the club has gone through in the last 16 years. Do you agree? Thanks again. Lets go Bucs!

Dejan Kovacevic: I have written something to that effect before, though it was hotly disputed by some readers. Fairly soon, if the team trades Jack Wilson and maybe some others, the argument will be a slam dunk.

JRsCatatonicLdopa: Why were the Pirates so eager to break up this team? What if this season was more of an aberration for these starters & they could have righted their ship next year - I would much rather have Nady & Bay an extra half year to at least give it a try.

Dejan Kovacevic: Why not keep Nady and Bay beyond a year and a half? I find that too few people think along this route, regardless of the actual stance on this. Just give it some thought: It was one of the four best hitting lineups in the league, all 30 or younger. Where was it written in stone that this team was doomed to failure within a year or two, if it had been kept together? ... Not espousing a personal view here. But I do think it merits real thought.

Waiting_for_Pedro: Donde esta Pedro? How long do the Pirates tolerate the "act"?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not for long. This already is strange. And, no matter what an agent advises, the player ultimately is responsible because the player employs the agent, not the other way around.

tom: Hi Dejan, really appreciate the coverage. I know NH has a plan for the future, but how do you think he will balance that long term plan for the future this offseason. As it looks now, these guys could lose 110 games next year if there aren't some type of additions this offseason?

Dejan Kovacevic: No one on this management team seems to stress much about the current situation beyond simply surviving it. That was plainly evident this year. Because of that, I would expect nothing more than Band-Aids in 2009.

Joey_Bats: DK, Is Andy LaRoche really "Major League Ready?"

Dejan Kovacevic: How will we know based on three weeks?

YeOldeBuccoFan: What possibly could be Boras' motivation for hindering Alvarez from arriving in Pittsburgh? Wouldn't he want his client to ride into town, throw out the first pitch, be hailed as the savior of the franchise?

Dejan Kovacevic: Boras' approach to elite players is to make sure they understand that he is the one on their side, more so than the team. A wedge like this, meaningless as it might appear, can be one way of achieving that, even after a contract agreement has been reached. Other ways -- less confrontational -- include having his own training program and facilities for offseason workouts, as well as many other amenities where the player comes to Boras before he comes to the team.

jefft: Hi Dejan--with the addition of Robinzon Diaz to the 40-man, does that make him the third catcher come September 1, or is there still a chance Paulino might make another appearance?

Dejan Kovacevic: There is a chance it could be Diaz. He might need to show a little something in the final week of Indianapolis' season, though. Paulino has not been ruled out.

mad_max: Over/Under 10,000 for largest September home crowd?

Dejan Kovacevic: Well over 10,000. Still some weekend dates on there, as well as a Rennie Stennett bobblehead.

CongratsOn16straight: I just want to start off by congratulating the Pirates on tying the record for most losing seasons in a row. Keep up the good work boys!

Dejan Kovacevic: Eight games early, dude.

Mr.BOB_NUTTING: What kind of celebration will the team do next year when they break the record for most losing seasons in a row? It may help season ticket sales.

Dejan Kovacevic: Probably not something to add to the promotional campaign. Certainly not before the fact. But yes, No. 17 looks a lot more likely now than it did a month ago.

Borasgothosed: Dejan, how do these contracts work? Agree to a deal but don't show up?

Dejan Kovacevic: Contract is a contract. The kid needs to show up.

matt: Is Andrew McCutchen the starting CF next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not ready to start the season in Pittsburgh, by all accounts. Nate McLouth will be the guy.

Adam_Hyzdu: DK, love the coverage. Any chance ticket prices will drop next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Not after keeping them at the same level seven years in a row. No chance. But one also could see where the Pirates would experience great angst before raising prices, particularly after sending away two-thirds of the most productive outfield in Major League Baseball and, essentially, asking everyone to wait until 2010 or beyond.

Wheres_Pedro: Do the Pirates still consider Moskos a prospect or are they prepared to write him off?

Dejan Kovacevic: He needs to do well in 2009 to maintain top-prospect status. To his credit, he is coming off two good relief outings for Lynchburg after just an awful spell. For now, they basically want him to just tough it out for the final week of his first full professional season.

roschke: Who is deciding which players are in the lineup day-to-day? This is the manager's job but I suspect that the GM is calling the shots with the Pirates. Or it is manager by committee?

Dejan Kovacevic: John Russell, 100 percent, but with significant input from Gary Varsho. The two sit in the manager's office for interminably long stretches sometimes going over possibilities. Huntington can have general input, such as rotation, injury and other matters as they relate to the lineup. But not the day-to-day stuff.

ian_smell: Why don't or can't the Pirates fine Alvarez for being missing in action? Granted, not a great way to start a career but what are the alternatives?

Dejan Kovacevic: Fine, suspension, whatever. But, really, think about this, too: The Pirates would really be fanning the flames by taking such an action.

chooch79: Why did we see more fundamentally sound baseball at the Little League World Series than at a normal Pirate game?

Dejan Kovacevic: Say what you want about the Pirates' pitching. It might be the worst in franchise history. And the hitting has been awful, too, since the two trades. But the idea that the Pirates have been poor fundamentally cannot be backed up in any tangible way. Their defensive numbers actually are pretty good, considering the ridiculous ratio of balls put into play with great force.

Wheres_Pedro: IF we trade Wilson (which it looks like we will) do the Pirates plan to address the position through FA or with the light hitting Bixler?

Dejan Kovacevic: A free-agent shortstop to replace Wilson would either make little sense -- total wash -- or be a downgrade. Similarly, promoting any shortstop from within the system would be a downgrade. A large downgrade. That means a trade.

PirateApologist: Hello, Dejan. Do trades involving the waiver wire happen in bunches on the last day of the month, or does the process of clearing waivers take too long for this to be possible?

Dejan Kovacevic: Most players traded in August have gone through waivers early in the month. Little last-minute waiver clearing happens.

praveen: I think Andy LaRoche will amount to an average major leaguer at best. How is he an upgrade over Bautista? Bautista showed promise too early in his career. Andy's stock fell in LA for a reason.

Dejan Kovacevic: Through three weeks, it would appear Bautista is the better hitter and significantly better defender. But these things are not judged on three weeks.

PirateApologist: Will Jason Michaels be back next year?

Dejan Kovacevic: Sure sounds like it. The team wants it, and he wants it. But there is the small matter of a contract. He has a $2.6 million option the Pirates will not exercise, but a lower figure can be negotiated.

Fire_Lanny: The Pirates were stupid enough to give Alverez $3 million before he signed the contract. I'd take my time too. What's the rush?

Dejan Kovacevic: If Alvarez fails his physical -- or refuses to report -- every penny of the bonus is refundable. But, really, I think we are carrying this subject too far, from what I have heard. There is a little bit of muscle-flexing going on here, and it likely will end uneventfully.

Chief_Bender: How impressed are the PBC with Evan Meek's downright amazing performance after all that he's been through and how poorly he looked in the majors?

Dejan Kovacevic: Very impressed, but not to the point that he will be a September guy.

Fire_Lanny: I bet you can't wait for that CIN-SF-HOU road trip. The schedule maker should be required to travel with the team.

Dejan Kovacevic: No, the schedule maker should be required to make that trip AND the second separate trip of the month to California to end the season. For that matter, the schedule maker should have been required to make all FIVE separate trips to the Mountain and Pacific time zones, where not once did the Pirates stop to play, oh, maybe two series while they were out there. And the schedule maker should have to make these five trips in a middle seat, on a regional jet, in the back row with one of those chairs that does not slide backward with an especially talkative person next to them holding a crying 2-year-old and ...

SandlotWizard: Who do you think will be the 5 starters next season in April?

Dejan Kovacevic: Paul Maholm and everyone else. The Pirates, this time unlike last, will let the rest fight it out.

Jim_I: Dejan, does Jack Wilson still want to play for the PBC? If so, why?

Dejan Kovacevic: He would be delighted to stay. Hope that came across in the long piece from last week.

praveen: I agree with the sentiment that more thought should have been given to keeping the outfield we had together. The Rincon trade was the gift that kept on giving until now (Giles, Nady , Perez, Bay). I see the gravy train of that trade ending with the trades to NY and Boston.

Dejan Kovacevic: The question that needs to be asked is this: Is it more difficult to achieve what the Pirates already had -- a strong lineup with players all 30 or younger, all happy to be in Pittsburgh -- or to build up a minor league system over time through good drafts and Latin American signings? Which is harder, particularly for a team with the Pirates' limited resources?

MR.Bob_nutting: Be honest, if you can. Do the players really care at this point and just trying to ride it out? A bunch of guys making millions, what is the incentive?

Dejan Kovacevic: Why would I not be able to be honest? What kind of phrasing is that? Did you read today's game story? Did that read to you like I was describing a team going all out? Or did I use a phrase like "get-this-season-over-with feel" to describe it?

mad_max: Your chats are great. They really should be an hour.

Dejan Kovacevic: You say that, but you are not the one typing all the answers at this rate, my friend!

where_is_pedro_: I've noticed Luis Cruz has been playing SS and Brian Bixler seeing time at 2B with AAA Indy lately. Does the PBC see Cruz as a prospect or a quad-A middle infield backup? His stats, though sample size, have shown a dramatic increase since coming up from Altoona to Indy.

Dejan Kovacevic: Yes, Cruz's stock is very much rising with the Pirates, as Paul Meyer pointed out last month. He has a very good glove and a surprising bat so far since his promotion to Indianapolis.

MAdesso: Hey DK, what are your thoughts on replay?

Dejan Kovacevic: When the Pirates play games that matter someday, it will come in great handy.

where_is_pedro_: Now that the draft and trade deadlines have come and gone, any word on further international signings in the Dominican Republic, Venezuela or any other Latin American countries for the PBC?

Dejan Kovacevic: End of month is the deadline. One more player will be signed. Nothing spectacular.

chooch79: What do you feel is the biggest priority that the Pirates need to accomplish before the end of the season?

Dejan Kovacevic: To not go into a total nosedive, the kind we are seeing take shape right now. I know that is general, but the best thing the Pirates could take from the major league level in 2008, if possible, is some of the confidence they had in generating all those pre-trade comebacks. They need to believe that it was more than just Nady and Bay making those happen. If not, they will be starting over in 2009 in more ways than one. ... One more ...

SandlotWizard: With all the talk of trading Jack Wilson, what about Freddy Sanchez being trade bait this offseason?

Dejan Kovacevic: Trading players at their lowest possible value is a surefire recipe to make a lousy deal. Sanchez is a much better player than he has shown this summer. If you as Pirates management have no use for him long term, wait until he gets himself right, then trade him. ... Q&A returns tomorrow on the blog.