I agree that Yates has thrown the ball very well since joining the club. The acquisition of Yates was a true group effort. I liked Yates as a young pitcher in the Mets system, but that was some years ago. More importantly, we have solid scouting reports from Jack Bowen and Jimmy Lester on Yates from his past two seasons with the Braves. As the offseason progressed, we believed that Atlanta was going to have extra pitching near the end of Spring Training. We became aware that Yates might be available, and after getting fine scouting reports this spring from Pete Vuckovich and Adam Lewkowicz, we felt that if the acquisition cost was appropriate, Yates would be a good addition to the club. Fortunately, we were able to work a deal with Atlanta and were able to add a power arm to our 'pen.

Although I like the effort the team is putting out on the field, how can the Pirates improve defensively?
-- Anthony S., Edinburg, Pa.

We also appreciate the effort of the club and believe that we will improve our defensive play in the near future. Our coaching staff did a thorough job of working with the players fundamentally and mechanically during Spring Training, and will continue those efforts during the course of the season. Our errors have generally not been errors from a lack of effort, but have been physical mistakes that are unfortunately a part of the game. Our staff and players will continue to work diligently to minimize mistakes and we believe the results will be evident on the field.

What is the status of former first-round pick Brad Lincoln?
-- Don P., Gettysburg, Pa.

Don, thanks for the question on Lincoln. He is progressing well from the Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery he had a little over a year ago. The typical recovery time for this type of surgery is 12-18 months and he is right on schedule. Lincoln, a right-hander, has completed his return to a throwing program and is now progressing toward a pitching program. We are focusing on his delivery mechanics in an effort to solidify his delivery while building up his arm strength through a workload progression. It is our focus to have him finish the year in strong fashion, and he is well on his way toward accomplishing that goal.

Depth-wise as an organization, where are we the strongest and where are we the weakest?
-- Terry M., Grayson, Ga.

As an organization, we have a handful of upper-level position-player prospects that will make a positive impact on the Major League club in the coming years. Moving forward, we have to do an outstanding job of acquiring talent via the Draft, international signings, trades, waiver claims and free agency to increase the depth in our system. Once the talent is acquired, we need to do a quality job of guiding the players in the system to reaching their full potential. Successful scouting and development will build the pipeline of Major League-caliber talent that is crucial to the success of teams with similar market parameters.

Chris Gomez looks like a very versatile player with a good bat. How often will he play and what position will he play the most?
-- John W., Long Beach, Calif.

We signed Gomez this offseason to be a versatile, reliable defender that could provide professional at-bats. Additionally, we believed Gomez would add a quality veteran presence and work ethic to our clubhouse. He has done everything asked of him to date and we are pleased to have him on our club. Manager John Russell will put Gomez in the best position to help the club on a nightly basis. Gomez understands his role and does a great job of keeping himself prepared to perform when called upon.