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OK, now that Nate McLouth has satisfactorily addressed those concerns about his monthly splits, since there is no Q&A tomorrow, I want to take this opportunity to wish you and yours a blessed July 12 tomorrow, the 11th anniversary of the only truly significant game in the past 15-plus years for your favorite franchise.

The dozen or so who sat through the long rain delays Tuesday were treated to the final two innings of that on the big screen, and I have to admit I stopped whatever I was doing to watch myself. A truly remarkable event on a lot of levels.

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Q: Hey, Dejan, I don't follow the minor league clubs very closely, but the promotion of the recently-demoted-to-Altoona Luis Munoz got me to take a moment to peek at the current situation down there. I won't waste your time bemoaning and asking why they promoted someone who couldn't cut it at Class AAA earlier this year, because I presume the answer is that there just aren't any other options right now.

My question is this: As someone more familiar with the system, can you shed any light on the state of the minors other than, "We've tapped out most of our good prospects and the big club still can't reach .500?"

Cheryl Turney of Wilkinsburg

KOVACEVIC: Sure, Cheryl: It is awful.

There have been a handful of pleasant surprises for new management in their first full year of looking at the prospects dealt to them, maybe even more than they thought. But there is very little power -- hitting or pitching -- and very little of anything else that looks like the traits to succeed in the majors.

The records largely are not important, good or bad, but the individual showings are. And, aside from an average year from Andrew McCutchen, a very good show of power from Jamie Romak and the surprisingly efficient hitting from Pitt's Jim Negrych, there is not much to see. And you will notice that I mentioned no pitchers, although Brad Lincoln had a nice initial return from elbow surgery and still projects to do well. Nor did I mention Neil Walker or Steve Pearce, each of whom has taken a step backward despite being considered among the top three prospects in the system.

By the way, if you want to monitor new management vs. old on this front, the best place to start is with the group in State College, half of which was taken in the recent draft. The Spikes are off to a terrible start in the standings, and the pitching is largely responsible, which obviously is not encouraging. But there have been a couple interesting performances early on, notably that of Matt Payne.

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Q: Dejan, since the Pirates are hurting for starters, is there any thought of moving Sean Burnett back to that role? Since he is healthy and not being used much in the bullpen, it might be worth a shot. Before he was hurt, he was a pretty good starter.

Doug Hazel of Bellefonte, Pa.

KOVACEVIC: One more in this vein ...

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Q: Dejan, crazy thought: Given that the Buccos have been reduced to running John Van Benschoten out there, is there any chance that Denny Bautista could get a spot start sometime this year?

Michael Thomas of South Side, Pittsburgh

KOVACEVIC: There is no question that things are seriously desperate when Luis Munoz, as Cheryl pointed out above, gets the summons directly to the majors just because he had five palatable innings against the Harrisburg Senators.

This is why I say again and again: For all the fuss that gets kicked up about certain things offensively, from under-performers to curious lineups, the Pirates' shortcomings with the pitching dwarf all of it.

Just stop and think to yourself how you felt in watching Paul Maholm pitch last night.

Anyway, to these two suggestions ...

Burnett is not going to start. The Pirates' management made a decision in the spring that he would pitch in relief and, really, just short relief. That was made mostly because of his health history but also because they saw that his stuff was livelier in short spurts, perhaps enough so that he could do well against right-handed batters.

I have heard no indication that this will change.

Bautista is a little different. The day he was acquired, Neal Huntington left open the possibility that he could start at some point down the road, given that he, like Burnett, has done it in the past. But the Pirates' view of Bautista for now is that he will pitch middle relief, sometimes long as we have seen, and work his way toward the back of the bullpen, where his power might pack the same kind of punch Tyler Yates provides now.

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Q: Dejan, it's amazing to me how so many Pirates fans seem so anxious for the GM to trade away what seems like half the roster. Half of the players in the everyday lineup are either current or former All-Stars still in their primes. Two others, Ryan Doumit and Xavier Nady, are having All-Star caliber years, and another, Adam LaRoche, is a Gold Glove-caliber, left-handed hitting first baseman perfectly suited for PNC Park. Jose Bautista is serviceable, and Pedro Alvarez projects as an above-average big-leaguer.

What this team actually lacks is one or two frontline starters. This can be addressed through free agency without touching the everyday starting lineup. The current starters could then fight for the 2 or 3-5 spots in the rotation. The team president says there is room in the budget. Yes, there is limited organizational depth. That is what the draft is for. With the addition of one or two frontline starters, in my opinion, this team becomes an immediate contender.

I hope the GM doesn't trade proven major league talent for potential major league talent.

The only regular I would consider trading is Nady, and that is only because of his history of leg problems and since there is some organizational depth in the outfield. This team is closer than people realize. And by the way, almost all of these guys are products of the Dave Littlefield years. I'm not a big Littlefield fan or critic. I just think it's worth noting.

Curt Shaffer of Tucson, Ariz.

KOVACEVIC: Way to lose everyone with those last three sentences, Curt.

Kidding! I am kidding!

Actually, I happen to agree to an extent about the team's standing with everyday players, provided LaRoche and Freddy Sanchez rejoin the picture in best form, and provided that third base becomes an impact rather than complementary position.

But I so very emphatically disagree with you about the pitching. This team needs much, much more to be competitive, much less a contender, unless you are of the mind that crossing one's fingers for all of the existing guys to fare exceptionally well is a reasonable plan. And never mind health considerations.

Depth is a must. Real depth.

Here is another look at the same topic ...

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Q: How do the Pirates improve for 2009 if Nady is the only player moved for prospects and Marte is kept for the potential of a couple high draft picks?

Offensively, the Pirates can carry over to next season, although an upgrade at third base would be nice and a return to batting champion status by Sanchez would be cool. Pitching wise, especially starting pitching, would still appear to be full of ifs going into next season. The minors don't appear to have much, and free agency has never been much of a solution for the Pirates.

What does Pittsburgh do for 2009?

Dave Courtney of Nashville, Tenn.

KOVACEVIC: Or beyond?

Ask yourself this, too, and it gets even scarier from the Pirates' perspective: What if no more than one or two of the current starters really develops into a consistent performer? Or even if it is three?

Let us say, for argument's sake, that Maholm and Ian Snell become average to above-average starters, and throw in Zach Duke as a quality innings-eater at average. If that happens -- and I understand hopes are higher than that for all concerned -- what is behind those guys? What is there to bail out the Pirates from 2009, 2010, 2011 and beyond? Are we looking at the numbers these minor league pitchers are putting up? Are we seeing that there is not a single starter in that system who projects as an impact starter in the majors other than Lincoln, coming off elbow surgery in Class A?

If the Pirates went out and got Curt Schilling and Randy Johnson in their primes, and they did so tomorrow, what impact would it have?

I don't have the answer to that, obviously, but I do feel that much, much more needs to be seen from the current group -- in Pittsburgh and the minors -- to back the notion that a couple frontline starters will suddenly turn the Pirates into contenders. I am not seeing that.

Yet another ...

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Q: Dejan, would be sick ... SICK! ... if the Pirates traded Jack Wilson. From what I have gleaned over the years, he is the consummate team player. Thanks to Wilson's early-season injury, we have seen that Wilson is not easily replaced, and I gather there are not too many shortstops out there equally skilled who could slide into Wilson's shoes. Wilson's glove (especially when you consider how hard the Pirate pitchers make him work) and bat are solid.

My son and I are driving to Pennsylvania this week and will be in the stands Saturday night when the Pirates host St. Louis, and we look forward to seeing Wilson play.

Jim Albertson of Norman, Okla.

KOVACEVIC: This might be my favorite of the three on this topic, if only because, I think, it probably reflects the way most fans feel. The Q&A, for the most part, is for the diehard fan, the one who subscribes to Baseball America and can cite volumes of research to back their opinions. But there probably are many more who see the issue just like this.

Not suggesting you don't read BA, Jim. You probably do, for how often you write here.

Rather, just pointing out that there also can be emotional attachments, and those tend to override all else at times.

Nothing wrong with that. Wilson, through his performance and personality, certainly has earned that in Pittsburgh. He is one of the best shortstops in franchise history, as well as one of the best people, and you can be very sure that this will be - and should be - a factor in the Pirates' decision.

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Until next week, when there will be the usual chat Monday, but the Q&A will not return until Friday from Denver. And it might be a very special edition of the Q&A ...