[cknox0723]

I've got a little wrinkle that I throw into my coach signings that I should add here. I feel it's too easy to sign coaches to whatever contracts you want, essentially, so I give them what they ask for, both in terms of years and dollars. If I want to give them a shorter or longer deal, then I've got to give them $100,000 more per each year of difference. I'm not quite sure why I do it this way - but why not?

Anyway, the new additions to our coaching staff are <b>Jamison Bryan</b> and <b>Ty Arisman</b> - both pitching coaches. But <b>Arisman</b> will convert to managing (much like, uh, someone. But who?), which amuses me, for some reason. I figured he'd work well with whatever crappy pitchers we drudge up. <b>Bryan</b>, who really should reverse his names ('Bryan Jamison'), is young. He's really got potential to be a veteran leader someday. "<i>It's a good day to work, boys! Good day to work!</i>"

With that taken care of, I take one last gander at the rosters before preparing for the impending catastrophe that free agency will surely be. At this point, I decide to toss out all the dead wood - so <b>John Bale</b>, <b>Todd Deininger</b>, <b>Corwin Malone</b>, <b>Roberto Novoa</b>, <b>Brandon Puffer</b>, and <b>Colin Porter</b> all get their walking papers. They're all minor league pitchers of little note, except for <b>Porter</b>, who's bad enough that he may as well be a minor league pitcher of little note. <b>Maggs Ordonez</b> and <b>Jeremy Reed</b> were also put back on the active roster; they had been on the DL. In <b>Reed's</b> case, it was a minor injury. For <b>Ordonez</b>, it was just a tiny little broken wrist - a wrist that, if not fully healed, may hurt any chance we have at contending...oh, for the next four years or so.

Some roster shenanigans now - dispatched <b>Kris Honel</b> (also known as exhibit #1 for "why scouts are evil") to AA Birmingham, since he's had no success at any higher level. Since we've got exactly five starting pitchers at every level, and symmetry is at least something to shoot for, I decide to cut 19-year old <b>Ricky Coppin</b>'s ass. A 9th round pick last year, Coppin inexplicably spent much of the year in the high minors, where his ERA was close to 7 and his WHIP was over 2 (!). I, of course, can use the statistics to my advantage, ignoring everything that can be used in his favor (namely his age and lack of experience) and let it explode right in his face. Sorry, Ricky, corporate life can be hell sometimes!

Outfielder <b>Clint King</b> doesn't exactly strike my fancy, either, so the 23 year old will languish in AAA Charlotte for the year. Good thing he has options! This leaves us with 6 open spots on the active roster, and after adding prospects <b>Fernando Hernandez</b> (Long_Long_Name, could I use your name as F.H.'s nickname?) and <b>Fabio Castro</b> (also known as <i>Super Relief Prospects</i> A and B) and middling reliever <b>Carl Sadler</b> to the 40-man, 6 spots on that as well. Hmmm...looks like we'll be cutting some folks.

But for now, that'll be all. I hope to get some time to make a little noise in free agency in the next few days, but regardless, it'll be here eventually. Any comments are welcome.

Craig