Ranking the Offseasons - AL

Over the course of the next few days, I will attempt to rank the offseason moves made by each of the 30 MLB clubs based on a combination of how their moves will affect their chances of competing both in 2010 and the future. [Note: Despite my Johns Hopkins education, I grade on a B- curve, not a C.]

The discussion begins in the AL where two things stick out:

*The Red Sox and Yankees seem to be separating themselves even further from the pack.

*I think the race for the AL West will be the one to watch. Three teams had very good offseasons while the Angels came back to the pack. Now, all four think they have a chance to take the division. That's a rare occurrence.

Anyway, here goes:

1) Red Sox: Theo Epstein addressed both defense and pitching (summed up nicely here) this offseason without surrendering much in the way of offense. Sounds like a great recipe in theory, but the health/age concerns of some of the newly acquired talent should keep BoSox fans a bit cautious in their optimism.

John Lackey (5 years, $82.5m) has missed each of the last two Aprils with arm injuries. If he can remain healthy, though, he will slot in nicely as the number three starter in one of the game's best rotations.

When healthy, Mike Cameron (2 years, $15.5m) and Adrian Beltre (1 year, $10m) are defensive stalwarts. Cameron will be 37 on Opening Day and Beltre missed 50+ games last season with a potpourri of injuries.

Any defensive or offensive production the team receives from new SS Marco Scutaro (2 years, $12.5m) would be more than the team got from the position last season.

The team also rolled the dice on former prospect Jeremy Hermida, who had fallen out of favor and the budget in Florida, and Bill Hall (luxury tax reasons) while electing to let free agent LF Jason Bay and RP Billy Wagner walk away in exchange for draft pick compensation.

Best Move: Signing Beltre
Grade for 2010: A-
Grade for the future: B


2) Yankees: The team as currently constructed needs to win now, and the moves that were made this offseason support that theory.

In simple terms, the Yankees swapped Johnny Damon, Melky Cabrera, Hideki Matsui, and a slew of prospects for Curtis Granderson, Javier Vazquez and Nick Johnson (1 year, $5.5m). I would venture to guess that fans in the Bronx are ecstatic as this gives their team an excellent chance to repeat as World Series champs.

On the flip side, the payroll figures to be in the $200m range yet the Yankees lack a fifth starter. (Then again, when you can score six runs per game, it might not matter who starts.) 2011 will be no better as New York has over $144m committed already and that does not include the inevitable re-signing of Derek Jeter.

Best Move: Acquiring Granderson
Grade for 2010: A-
Grade for the future: D


3) Mariners: First the good. Seattle acquired Cy Young Award winner Cliff Lee for three prospects. Then, the team locked up staff ace Felix Hernandez (5 years, $78m). Together, they give Seattle the most formidable 1-2 punch in baseball. They also signed free agent 3B Chone Figgins (4 years, $36m) and locked up Franklin Gutierrez (4 years, $20m) solidifying the team's defense.

[In a recent article, Buster Olney mentions the possibility of Ichiro and Figgins becoming the best 1-2 combo as well. Food for thought.]

Now the bad. The M's failed to address two key areas - the pitching depth (numbers 3 through 5 starters) and the offense. What are they going to do when Hernandez or Lee aren't getting the ball? The offense scored the fewest runs in the American League, and they lost two key contributors (Russell Branyan and Adrian Beltre).

The team also made three other trades over the winter. They traded for clubhouse cancer, Milton Bradley (in exchange for the uber-overpaid Carlos Silva), reliever Brandon League (in exchange for former top prospect Brandon Morrow), and 1B Casey Kotchman (for Util Bill Hall). I am not a huge fan of the first two deals but definitely support the third.

Overall, a solid offseason for the about-to-be-canonized-in-Seattle Jack Z. The team will be better than last season, but will it be enough to push them into the playoffs? I have my doubts as I cannot trust the likes of Doug Fister and Ryan Rowland-Smith to hold down the back end of the rotation.

Best Move: Acquiring Lee
Grade for 2010: B
Grade for the future: A-


4) Rangers: Clearly, Rangers GM Jon Daniels thinks the AL West can be had in 2010. Blessed with one of the game's top farm systems, Daniels rolled the proverbial dice, signing a number of high-risk/high-reward free agents to short-term deals. Among them were Vlad Guerrero (1 year, $5.5m), Rich Harden (1 year, $6.5m), Colby Lewis (2 years, $5m), and Khalil Greene (1 year, $500k). If one or more of these deals pan out, great. If not, they will call up one of their top prospects.

I especially like the Harden deal as he has as much natural ability as any anyone in this year's free agent class. Because of his injury history, however, he came at a fraction of the cost of John Lackey with only a one-year commitment.

If the ownership mess can be sorted out by July, the team can also acquire some help before the trade deadline.

Best move: Signing Harden
Grade for 2010: B
Grade for the future: B-


5) Twins: By and large, general managers are not an unintelligent bunch (I speak in double-negative tongue on purpose). Why do I bring this up here? Orlando Hudson was signed by Minnesota (1 year, $5m) this offseason, pushing their payroll north of $100m. This was the second straight offseason Hudson garnered very little interest. He seems to be a player in decline (and the numbers back that). Sure, he is an upgrade from the putrid production the team received from its second basemen last year, but $5m seems exorbitant.

By my count, fans in Minnesota have two things to be happy for:

1- The highway robbery of a deal for JJ Hardy (traded Carlos Gomez straight up), and
2- Joe Mauer seems inclined to want a long term deal to stay in the Twin Cities for the rest of his career.

This offseason reminds me a lot of the Mariners. Several deals that look good on paper, but will they help enough to lead to the postseason?

Best move: Acquiring Hardy
Grade for 2010: B
Grade for the future: B- (A, if they can sign Mauer to a long-term deal)


6) A's: Oakland was involved in all facets of the offseason. They were major players in the chase for a number of free agents, landing Ben Sheets (1 year, $10m), Coco Crisp ($1 year, $4.75m), and Gabe Gross (1 year, $750k). They were also involved in trades at the major league level (acquiring Kevin Kouzmanoff for Scott Hairston and Aaron Cunningham) and minor league levels (swapping Brett Wallace for Michael Taylor). A very busy winter indeed.

[Side note: In the end, Oakland, through all of its trading with San Diego (and Scott Hairston), dealt Sean Gallagher, Ryan Webb, Craig Italiano, and Aaron Cunningham for Kevin Kouzmanoff. Not cheap at all.]
Oakland may still be a hitter or two short, but the pitching staff, including newly re-signed Justin Duchscherer (1 year, $2m), has great potential and can carry the team.

Best move: Re-signing Duchscherer
Grade for 2010: B
Grade for the future: B-


7) Angels: As the other three teams in the AL West improved, the Angels lost two key free agents - John Lackey and Chone Figgins - and two more solid contributors - Vlad Guerrero and Darren Oliver. To replace this group, the team signed Joel Pineiro (2 years, $16m), Fernando Rodney (2 years, $11m), and Hideki Matsui (1 year, $6m). Let's compare:

-(no one) vs Figgins = big loss

-Pineiro vs Lackey = loss

-Rodney vs Oliver = slight win

-Matsui vs Vlad = wash

I am not worried about the pitching as much as I am the offense (and the other three teams in the division). Los Angeles must now count on Jered Weaver to replace Lackey and 3B Brandon Wood to fill Figgins' shoes.

This could be the year someone catches the Angels for the first time since 2006.

Best move: Re-signing Bobby Abreu (2 years, $19m)
Grade for 2010: C
Grade for the future: B+ (they now own five of the first 48 pick in the 2010 Draft)


8) White Sox: Chicago used the trade as its weapon of choice this winter, acquiring OF Juan Pierre and 3B Mark Teahan. The Pierre trade makes sense monetarily as the Dodgers will eat most of the cost, but the Teahan deal leaves much to be desired. GM Kenny Williams traded two former top prospects for a guy that was on the verge of being non-tendered by the cellar-dwelling Royals and then signed him to a contract extension on top of that (3 years, $14m).

Williams also signed reclamation projects Omar Vizquel and Andruw Jones to one-year, incentive-laden deals.

Worst move: Extending Teahan for three years
Grade for 2010: C-
Grade for the future: C


9) Orioles: For a team that finds themselves at least two years from serious contention, Baltimore made a series of befuddling moves. Signing Garrett Atkins (1 year, $5m), Miguel Tejada (1 year, $6m), and Mike Gonzalez makes them a notch better in 2010, but at what cost?

The Mike Gonzalez (2 years, $12m) signing taken in a vacuum looks fine. However, when you factor in the fact that it cost Baltimore its second round pick in June, the deal looks a bit foolish. It would have made much more sense to allocate this money to the draft or to signing some young international prospect(s).

The team also dealt Chris Ray for Kevin Millwood, taking on more salary in 2010 without much hope of contending.

Worst move: Surrendering 2010 second round pick to sign Gonzalez
Grade for 2010: C+
Grade for the future: D


10) Blue Jays: Rookie GM Alex Anthopoulos will forever be linked to Roy Halladay. In his first major move at the helm, AA dealt Roy for a trio of prospects - Michael Taylor, Kyle Drabek and Travis D'Arnaud. The move was shrewd on a number of levels.

First, the deal brought in two high-ceiling prospects in Taylor (who was flipped for another prospect, Brett Wallace) and Drabek who were desperately needed as the farm system was barren.

Second, the deal saved the team tens of millions of dollars. Of course, now they will have to pay other players a large chunk of this money, but in the short term while the team cannot be competitive, it makes sense to cut costs.

Now, AA needs to find a taker for Vernon Wells, no easy task.

Best move: Acquiring Brendan Morrow for Brandon League
Grade for 2010: D-
Grade for the future: B+


11) Tigers: Detroit finds itself in the midst of a very confusing offseason. At the Winter Meetings in December, the team traded its most popular player (Curtis Granderson) and second-best pitcher (Edwin Jackson) in a three-team deal that netted them Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth from the Diamondbacks and Phil Coke and Austin Jackson from the Yankees. At the time, it seemed like Detroit was in cost-cutting mode. Fine.

However, weeks later, the Tigers signed Jose Valverde (2 years, $14m), a Type A free agent, to be their closer.

Then, the Tigers signed Johnny Damon for $8m.

So, the team swapped two of its best players and its first round pick for a guy with questionable mechanics (Scherzer), Valverde, three mid-level prospects, and now Damon.

Maybe I am missing something, but the logic baffles me. The fans in Detroit deserve better.

Worst move: Signing Valverde
Grade for 2010: C-
Grade for the future: D (they surrendered their first round pick in 2010 to sign Valverde)


12) Rays: I was critical of Tampa Bay last offseason and have no reason to ease off the gas here (insert lame Toyota joke here). The Rays - essentially - traded Akinori Iwamura for Rafael Soriano and his $7.25m salary. They also acquired C Kelly Shoppach from the Indians for a PTBNL... and that's about it.

Solidifying the back end of the bullpen will help (albeit at a hefty cost), but for a team on the cusp of competing, more could have and should have been done. Now, the Rays need to depend on their farm system to produce, and to produce quickly, if they have any hopes of playing deep into October.

Best, err, Only move: Acquiring Soriano
Grade for 2010: D+
Grade for the future: D


13) Indians: As my pick to win the World Series last season, the 2009 Tribe turned out to be even bigger disappointments than Nicole Eggert (I really thought she would stand the test of time). They were never a contender and were forced to trade Cliff Lee before the July deadline with hopes of rebuilding.

Unfortunately, soon-to-be-former GM Mark Shapiro made very little effort to improve his team's chances in 2010 until Friday when they signed Russell Branyan. In fact, they made no discernable effort at all to do anything besides trade Kelly Shoppach to the Rays.

The Branyan deal was extremely team-friendly (1 year, $3m max) but can he have enough of an impact to lead Cleveland to the playoffs? Doubtful.

Shapiro's hits far outweigh his misses so he gets a bit of a pass from here, but this offseason leaves plenty to be desired.

Best move: Signing Branyan
Grade for 2010: D-
Grade for the future: C+ (Lee trade)


14) Royals: If not for Zach Greinke, this would be the worst team in baseball. It actually infuriates me how terrible they are.

They do not develop young talent properly (see Gordon, Alex). They sign terrible free agents to above market value deals - Jason Kendall (2 years, $6m), Rick Ankiel (1 year, $3.25m), and Scott Podsednik (1 year, $1.75m - at least she comes with him), and they lack creativity.

Dayton Moore should be fired.

Worst move: Signing Kendall, probably the worst move by any team all offseason
Grade for 2010: F
Grade for the future: F (with Dayton Moore, there is no hope)




Up next: Ranking the National League (Wednesday)

Hot Stove Link

Thanks again for the link, Hot Stove.

MLBTR Link and Lannan

Thanks to MLBTR for the link this morning.

Here is another link about a former high school teammate of mine who made it to the big leagues a little faster than I did.

Separated at Birth?

Former MLB All Star Raul Mondesi and Juan, the security guard at my office

Hot Stove Link

Thanks to Hot Stove for the link this morning.

Where Should These FAs Land?

The perfect destinations for the Top 10 remaining free agents:

1) Johnny Damon: We have discussed this at length, but he would be a perfect fit on the South Side of Chicago.

Best Fit: White Sox


2) Chan Ho Park: Park started the season in the Phillies’ rotation. Following seven unsuccessful starts, he was sent to the bullpen (on May 21) where he thrived. After that time, opponents slugged only .284 against him. He struck out 52 batters while only yielding 16 walks in his final 49 innings of work. By the end of the season, Park was also throwing harder than I can remember him ever throwing, often hitting 93+ (the gun on Fox had him higher but I’m a little skeptical).

He seems like a perfect candidate for a high-leverage setup role (8th inning guy) and if injuries struck in the rotation, he could also make spot starts.

Best Fit: Cubs - Park would also provide some insurance in Carlos Marmol was injured or struggles.


3) Felipe Lopez: One of the few players that developed patience at the plate as his career has progressed, Lopez can play a multitude of positions - although he probably projects best at second base. He won't hit for a ton of pop, but posts very respectable OBP numbers and can handle the bat. He rarely grounds into double plays another reason to trust him at the top of the order. He also switch hits, adding to his versatility.

Best Fit: Cubs - An upgrade over Jeff Baker who would thrive hitting in front of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano.


4) Russell Branyan: Branyan posted career-best power numbers last year at the ripe age of 33. It was the first time he accumulated over 500 at bats, and he made the most of the opportunity. His health is the biggest concern as he has missed time due to a number of different injuries including back (the most serious concern), oblique, hand, ankle and knee. If he can avoid the injury bug, he can be a middle-of-the-order bat.

Best Fit: Marlins - He would hold down the fort until the prospects (Gaby Sanchez, Logan Morrison) are ready.


5) Hank Blalock: Blalock, a player who seems to have been around forever, will only be 29 on Opening Day. Injuries are a concern, but I am shocked no one has scooped him up. Lefty power does not grow on trees.

Best Fit: Rays - He would be a big lefty bat off the bench or a platoon-mate for Pat Burrell at DH.


6) Kiko Calero: Calero had a borderline-dominant season last year surrendering only one home run, 26 unintentional walks, and 36 hits while striking out 69 batters in 60 innings. The Marlins paid him $500k last season after he missed most of 2008 with injury. I can only venture a guess as to what he would be looking for this offseason, but at the right price, he might be worth the risk.

Best Fit: Diamondbacks


7) Rocco Baldelli: In a a recent article on FanGraphs, Jack Moore asked if newly-signed Endy Chavez was the perfect "5th Outfielder." Moore makes some interesting points about depth and defense while conceding Endy's bat leaves a bit to be desired.

Enter Baldelli.

A mitochondrial disorder prevents him from playing every day, but when given the opportunity, Baldelli displays a decent amount of pop and speed. He also rates as an above average defender.

Best Fit: Orioles - He would be a nice upgrade over Felix Pie and could DH against tough lefties in place of Luke Scott.



Best of the Rest: Jarrod Washburn (a team in desperate need of back end of the rotation starters - Mariners); Rod Barajas (owner of one of the ugliest DiamondView graphs of all-time - Mets); Jermaine Dye (brutal fielder but should be good for 25 homers - Angels)

Can T-Mac Solve the Hornets' Problems?

As a Hornets' fan, this deal tortures me. As a realist, this deal makes a ton of sense.

New Orleans trades David West, James Posey, and Morris Peterson to Houston for Tracy McGrady.

Hornets

Pro: Ridding themselves of the nearly $30m due to Posey and Peterson over the next three years will go a long way towards shaping the franchise's future.

Con: Like a quote from my favorite scene in Old School, if you are reading this, you already know - trading David West is a last resort. Let's not dwell on this.


Rockets

Pro: West and all the goodness he brings. Plus, Posey could be the shutdown defender that team's need come playoff time (against Kobe or 'Melo, perhaps?)

The deal nets the Rockets much more than the deal being discussed with the Knicks.

Con: All the salaries associated with the players being acquired.

Trades That Make Sense: Kings-Bucks

In the last effort to propose a trade before the NBA deadline on Thursday, here is a deal that would really help both teams:

The Sacramento Kings trade SG Kevin Martin to the Milwaukee Bucks for Luke Ridnour, Joe Alexander, Ersan Ilyasova, and their 2010 first round pick.

Kings

Pro: If it hasn't already become obvious, The Future (Tyreke Evans) and Kevin Martin cannot coexist harmoniously.

The contracts of Ridnour and Alexander expire at season's end. Couple that with the ridding of the remaining $27m+ of Martin's deal and Kings can be players in this offseason's market.

Alexander, the eight overall pick of the 2008 Draft, has fallen out of favor in Milwaukee but could use the remainder of the year as a tryout to impress the higher ups in Sacto.

The real prize of the deal might be Ilyasova who has proved to be a solid contributor for a solid Bucks squad in playoff contention.

The first round pick could turn out to be a lottery selection if the Bucks crumble down the stretch.

Con: Martin, despite all his faults, has undeniable talent. He can score an efficient 20 a night. As recently as October, Martin was considered the team's franchise player.


Bucks

Pro: The Bucks find themselves a game out of the playoffs, a land they have not reached since the 2005-6 season. Martin would fit in perfectly with Brandon Jennings, a pure point guard, and franchise center Andrew Bogut. This would be a solid foundation upon which to build.

Con: Martin's contract limits the team's flexibility. (What superstar would really sign in Milwaukee, though?)

Kenny Williams Reads The Banter

Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams confirms he is a fan of the Banter. Sweet.

The MLB Draft and Other Baseball Thoughts

The MLB Draft is starting to gain ever so slightly in popularity among fans. In general, we love the "next big thing" so it was only a matter of time before interest picked up.

As this is happening, the Draft is also becoming a focal point in the next round of the CBA. Lower-revenue teams want the ability to draft the best talent and not have to worry about the prohibitive costs associated with doing so. Thus, a "hard-slotting" system, which would resemble the NBA's system, is being discussed.

For what it's worth, I like one of the ideas proposed by Gord Ash, former GM of the Toronto Blue Jays, in this article which would resemble an NHL rule:

Retaining signing rights for high schoolers into the future - "Baseball needs to adopt the NHL rule where if you're drafting underage players (high schoolers) you retain the rights," Ash said. "If you're forced into signing them and overpaying because you're trying to buy out colleges you could say, `Look, go to college. We'll keep our eye on you and we'll sign you later.'"

It makes a ton of sense to use principles from the other major sports as guidelines for baseball.

_______________________________

*Casey Blake: class act.

*Are the Mariners really going to be that good? I know they play great defense and improved the offense a little, but they only have two starting pitchers - Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee (granted these are Cy Young-caliber arms). Where are the rest of the innings going to come from?

*Shameless plug: check back next week for a ranking of every team's offseason.

Was That Really Worth It?

In 1998, the Minnesota Timberwolves signed Joe Smith to a two-year deal below the going rate at the time for a productive power forward. After that contract expired, Smith and the T-Wolves agreed on a new seven-year, $86m contract. However, it was determined that in an effort to circumvent the league's salary cap, Smith only agreed to the initial two-year deal with the promise of the later seven-year deal.

Signing below market value would allow the team to add additional players in the short term.

The NBA was not happy, and much like The Incredible Hulk, you "won't like him when he is angry." The him in this case is league commish David Stern.

Stern voided the new seven-year deal, fined the team $3.5m, and forced them to surrender their next FIVE first round picks (after some negotiation, the team was "only" forced to surrender three of those five in 2001, 2002, and 2004).

My question: what would have happened to the Wolves if this "secret" deal had never been made or discovered by Stern?

Aside from the fact that Joe Smith would be about $50m richer (he went on to earn about $36m during the time he would have been under contract for $86m), the Wolves might have avoided the doldrums they find themselves in today.

In 2001, the players available when the team should have picked in the first round (18th overall) included Zach Randolph, Brendan Haywood, Gerald Wallace, Samuel Delambert, Jamaal Tinsley, Tony Parker, and Gilbert Arenas.

In 2002, the players available when the team should have picked in the first round (24th overall) included Nenad Krstic, John Salmons, Roger Mason, and Carlos Boozer.

In 2004, the players available when the team should have picked in the first round (29th overall) included Anderson Varejeao, Chris Duhon, and Trevor Ariza.

Now, it is impossible to think that the Wolves would have hit on all of these picks (especially considering the fact that they selected Ndudi Ebi in the first round of the 2003 draft when they did not have to surrender a pick), but it is fun to play the game.

Let's assume the Wolves hit in two of the three years with Tony Parker and Trevor Ariza. Pair these two and Smith with Kevin Garnett and the Wolves would have been a threat to win the NBA Finals. After all, without Parker, Ariza and Smith the Wolves made it to the 2004 Western Conference Finals (lost in 6 to the Lakers).

In 2006, Smith was shipped from the Nuggets along with Andre Miller to the 76ers for Allen Iverson. Less than two years later, Iverson was shipped from Denver to Detroit for Chauncey Billups in a deal that built the foundation for the Nuggets' recent successes. Without the Joe Smith saga, neither of these deals occurs.

In the summer of 2007, a disgruntled Kevin Garnett forced a trade to the Boston Celtics, who went on to win the 2008 NBA Finals. With Parker, Ariza, and Smith, this deal doesn't happen and the Celtics never win it all (no way they make the Ray Allen deal without KG).

Ironically, using part of the package acquired for Garnett, the Wolves selected Johnny Flynn, their new PG of the future. A small, small consolation prize, I know.

Amazing how much changed because of Joe Smith, a player that had a bigger impact off-the-court than he did on it.

Separated at Birth?

Not really sports-related, although I'm sure I could find some connection:

Singer Katy Perry and actress Zooey Deschanel

Trades That Make Sense: Knicks-Blazers

With the NBA's trading deadline 12 days away, teams will have to start making some difficult choices while determining if they are contenders or pretenders. For some teams, however, the decisions should be relatively simple. The Knicks and Blazers fall into the latter category.

These two teams could not be much more different. Among the ways:

*New York sits 4.5 games out of eighth in the East while Portland finds itself 5 games behind Denver for the second seed in the West.

*New York overspent wildly and finds themselves in a nightmarish cap situation. Portland transformed themselves from the JailBlazers in five short years with a series of shrewd moves which changed the culture and outlook of the franchise.

*New York's best (and some would argue only good) player, David Lee, will be a free agent at season's end. Portland has a bevy of young talent surrounding franchise player Brandon Roy.

*The Knicks have a glut of centers while Portland has none.


To me, this deal would make perfect sense:

The Knicks trade Jared Jeffries and Jordan Hill to the Blazers for Steve Blake and Travis Outlaw.

Knicks

Pro: If the Knicks are serious about being big spenders in the offseason, they need the cap room to get deals done. Both Blake ($4m) and Outlaw ($3.4m) come off the books this summer while Jeffries would cost another $6.5m next year and Hill another $2.4m.

The deal probably makes the team better in the short term as Jeffries can be replaced and Hill does not play much.

Outlaw, 25, also has a bit of long-term potential. This would be an extended tryout for him.

Con: Hill was the team's first round pick this year. Trading him would be admitting mistake as they could have gotten a better return for Hill (or the 8th pick the team used to select him) on Draft Night if they planned on trading him at all.


Blazers

Pro: Despite being decimated by injuries at the center position, Portland would be the 7th seed in the playoffs if the season ended today. However, the team would have no chance of competing in the West against the likes of Pau Gasol and Amare Stoudemire. At 6-11, Jeffries would provide a defensive presence that the team does not currently have. The 6-9, 15-year vet Juwan Howard has played adequately, but he alone will not do the trick.

They add another high first round pick to the mix in Hill. (Hill and Jeffries would be the ninth and tenth members of the Blazers drafted in the top 11 picks of their respective drafts. Pretty amazing.)

The Blazers would probably struggle to afford re-signing Outlaw anyway. With the depth they have at small forward (Martell Webster, Nicolas Batum), money could be better spent elsewhere.

They really don't need Steve Blake with Andre Miller in town and Jerryd Bayless waiting in the wings.

They actually improve in the short-term and the long-term.

Con: This probably takes the team out of the free agent market next summer. Is Jeffries a big enough upgrade that Kevin Pritchard can justify this? [Even when they had cap space, they botched it (see Miller, Andre).]

Signing Day Highlights and Other Thoughts and Observations

My Favorite Signing Day Stories:

1) From Andy Stales of SI.com:

Lane Kiffin's first assignment after he finishes signing this class is to teach receiver signee Markeith Ambles how to spell Trojans.

Tuesday, Ambles tweeted this: "@mARKEITHAMBLES: who will i be tomorrow a vol, trogan, or tar heel!!!!!!"

I chalked that one up to tiny mobile phone keys or touchscreen issues. After all, the G and the J are separated only by the H on a standard QWERTY keyboard. But when Ambles tweeted Wednesday about his decision, I began having doubts. At 12:13 p.m. Wednesday, he tweeted this: "@mARKEITHAMBLES: Go Trogans!!!!!!"

Wow, Kiffin works fast. At 12:24 p.m., Ambles tweeted this: @Markeithambles: "Trojans"


2) William Gholston, a signee of Michigan State, said after signing that he looks forward to the next "three years." I like the cockiness.


3) FSU signeee, Bjoern Werner, cited "proximity to home" as a major reason for selecting the school. Why is that weird? His home is Germany!


I love Signing Day.

***********************
Other Thoughts and Observations

*In a recent article for ESPN's NBA Draft Blog, Fran Fraschilla said this about Michigan State PG Kalin Lucas:

"The Big Ten Player of the Year as a sophomore is not blessed with great physical tools."

He must be joking. The guy won the Big Ten PoY Award as a sophomore for crying out loud.

In general, I really enjoy Fran's work, but this could not go by without criticism.


*I learned today that a recruit in the Class of 2011 is actually named God's Power Offer.

Catching Up with Gerald Riggs, Jr.

Eight years ago today, National Signing Day 2002, Gerald Riggs, Jr. sat atop the recruiting world. Voted Mr. Tennessee Football during his junior year at Red Bank High School, Riggs also led his team to the 2000 state title. Numerous publications and experts tabbed Riggs as the premier player in his graduating class.

The bloodlines were in place as well, as his father, Gerald Riggs, Sr. was a three-time Pro Bowler with the Atlanta Falcons during a ten year NFL career.

After an injury-plagued career at the University of Tennessee, Riggs, Jr. went undrafted. Still looking to break camp with an NFL team, Riggs, Jr has been working out intensely in Atlanta.

Today, however, it was his younger brother's turn to go through the process. Cody Riggs signed his letter of intent with the University of Florida, who not so coincidentally had the number one ranked class in the country according to at least three major publications.

Riggs, Jr. took some time out of his day to talk with The Banter about Signing Day, a UT-filled Super Bowl and many other things. He was clearly excited for his brother and from our brief encounter seems like a great guy who was extremely personable.

Here is a brief transcript of our conversation:


TheSportsBanter: What have you been up to since graduation (UT Class of 2006)?
Gerald Riggs, Jr: I played a couple years [Miami Dolphins, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Rhein Fire] and have been doing radio and television the last two and a half years waiting to get another opportunity.

TSB: Have you gotten any interest?
GRJ: A little here and there but they never make any moves. It's frustrating because I know I can play. I just have to make people remember somehow.

TSB: Back in 2002, you were rated by many people as the #1 recruit in the country, what was the recruiting process like for you?
GRJ: It was fun going on my visits and talking to coaches, meeting potential teammates, but towards the end, you just want it to be over so you can move on.

TSB: What, if anything, do you remember about signing day?
GRJ: Mine was pretty boring actually because it was a done deal about a week before.

TSB: Do you follow the happenings on Signing Day each year?
GRJ: No, not really. I only did this year because my bro was coming out this year, but normally, no.

TSB: Your brother was ranked as one of ESPNU's Top 150. Where is he heading to college?
GRJ: He's going to be a Gator.

TSB: Did you have any advice for him on the whole process?
GRJ: I just told him do go where he feels at home and where he has a real opportunity to play the kind of football he is used to, which is a very high level (St. Thomas Aquinas in Miami, FL who finished the year ranked #27 in the nation).

TSB: Were you able to make it to any of his games this season?
GRJ: Yes, I flew down to see them play Byrnes (SC) who finished #36 in the nation.

TSB: Reports have your brother weighing in at 154 lbs. Did he lose the weight room key?
GRJ: (Laughs) He's 175 lbs. now, but he'll gain weight. That won't be a problem because he's still growing.

TSB: I'm sure he would still run me over at 154 lbs.
GRJ: (Laughs) Nah, he's a corner, speed demon. He would just run by you.

TSB: Your dad was a Pro Bowler, you played in the NFL, and now your little brother is a top recruit. I can only imagine what your backyard football games are like.
GRJ: (Laughs) Well, he was too young when dad was still able to run around like that, but they still get pretty serious.

TSB: What do you think of the coaching situation at UT?
GRJ: I think we have a great coach in place, a quality character guy that will instill loyalty and discipline in the program as well as put a great product on the field.

TSB: Do you stay in touch with Coach Fulmer?
GRJ: No, not at all.

TSB: Was it a messy situation while you were there?
GRJ: I wouldn't say messy, but we didn't see eye to eye on some things, and that caused some things to happen which I didn't take kindly to. So, there was no connection once I left school.

TSB: Do you keep in touch with any of your former teammates?
GRJ: Oh yeah definitely...as many as I can. We all care about what's going on, and we developed a special bond.

TSB: You have three former teammates playing in the Super Bowl (Robert Meachem, Jabari Greer, and Marvin Mitchell) plus Peyton Manning is a fellow UT alumnus. So , what is your pick?
GRJ: Don't get me wrong, I love those guys. In fact, I want them to win, but I just don't see it... I'm gonna say the Colts. Peyton is simply the best at diagnosing the defense and beating the blitz. Their defense is fast, and they create turnovers, and I just think the experience of being there before will be too much.

TSB: Personally, I think if the Saints can keep it close, Drew Brees can find a way to lead them to a win. That would be huge for the city of New Orleans.
GRJ: Yeah, it would. I really want to see them take it home, but the football mind in me just can't say they will. For them to win they'd have to get out in front, and I mean like 14 or 17 by the middle of the 2nd, but I don't see that.

TSB: Interesting. We will have to see. Where are you training during the offseason?
GRJ: I have been working really hard in Chattanooga and Atlanta.

TSB: Well, thanks again for your time and best of luck to you and your brother.
GRJ: Thanks to you too.