On the surface, the rich certainly got richer in the first blockbuster trade of the offseason. But below the surface, it seems like every player in this deal has some kind of flaw.

In a three-way deal, the Yankees obtained an All-Star center fielder seemingly entering the prime of his career in Curtis Granderson. The affable, popular Granderson hit 30 homers last season for the Detroit Tigers.

Who did the Yankees give up? A pitcher taken in the first round who seemed to be a decent prospect a year ago, but doesn't throw hard and failed miserably in his first big-league experience (Ian Kennedy), a good outfield prospect (Austin Jackson) and a decent young middle reliever (Phil Coke).

The Diamondbacks gave up two young pitchers (Max Scherzer and Daniel Schlereth) to get two slightly older ones (the Tigers' Edwin Jackson and Kennedy).

The Tigers cut payroll and got younger with Austin Jackson, Coke, Scherzer and Schlereth.

The grades:

Yankees: B. The champs just made their great lineup a little greater, assuming they fill the holes left by Hideki Matsui and Johnny Damon (perhaps with Matsui and/or Damon). But Granderson was awful against lefties last season, and is not a prototypical leadoff hitter (.327 on-base percentage) despite his speed. New York would be best served leaving Jeter leading off and batting Granderson sixth or seventh. In the Yankee Stadium launching pad, he could hit 35 homers. Austin Jackson was the biggest loss, but the Yankees will always have money to sign a decent free agent outfielder.

Diamondbacks: C. Scherzer and Schlereth both struggled at times in Arizona, and Edwin Jackson was a surprise AL All-Star last season (before fading down the stretch), but will he be better in a couple of years than Scherzer? And Kennedy, while hyped, is at best a No. 5 starter at this point.

Tigers: C-minus. Hard to get any kind of excitement on this deal if you're a Detroit fan. It's all about cutting payroll. As Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News points out:

"There are promising prospects, for sure, but there's a troubling reality, too. If Max Scherzer, the 25-year-old right-hander from Arizona, and Austin Jackson, the 22-year-old swift center fielder from New York, develop as hoped, you know what that means? It means maybe they become Edwin Jackson and Curtis Granderson."

This was Whitey Herzog's day, when the 78-year-old former manager was receiving his accolades for being elected by the Veterans Committee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But Herzog made some headlines Monday when he was asked about a player he never managed in St. Louis. He said Mark McGwire, recently hired as hitting coach of the Cardinals, needs to address steroids allegations.

"He's going to be asked questions about steroids, he's going to be asked so many things, and he's got to be open and he's got to answer," Herzog said in a news conference. "And Tony [La Russa] can't get mad about it. He's got to put up with it."

McGwire has yet to speak to the media since getting the job in October.

"I really want it to work out for the Cardinals, but I don't know," Herzog added. "And we won't until we see how Mark reacts to all of this. Sometimes I say, 'Maybe he's still not going to do it,' maybe he's going to wake up one morning and say, 'I don't want to go through it.' "

Herzog is a worthy addition of the Hall of Fame, with two decades of excellence as a manager and coming up with a style of play that worked beautifully in his era. He was a manager in Kansas City (1975-79) and manager and general manager in St. Louis (1980-90), buiding teams playing "Whiteyball," that were perfect on the Astroturf fields of the day. Speed, pitching and defense were tantamount, with hitters taking pitches and stealing bases.

"He started building a ball club according to the ballpark in which he played, and the fundamental aspects of the game were some of the things he always highlighted," Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith told the New York Times.

He'll go into the Hall of Fame with umpire Doug Harvey, who had a few run-ins with Herzog in his day. Harvey worked in the National League for 31 years, and was known for being methodical and eminently fair.

They'll be enshrined on July 25, 2010. They could be joined by players on the regular ballot - results of which will be announced Jan. 6.

This is a huge offseason for the Los Angeles Angels because of expiring contracts. The best pitcher is being courted by the other big markets, their cleanup hitter (although aging) could be let go and their leadoff hitter is just about out the door.

The last development is the breaking news, as reports indicate that Chone Figgins is about to sign a free agent deal with the AL West rival Seattle Mariners. Figgins, in a way, represents the Angels - a pesky hitter with a high average who is as solid a third baseman in the league, but just doesn't get the respect. Without Figgins, the Angels might not feel like the Angels of the past few seasons.

The same goes for John Lackey. The Angels' ace could be headed to New York - either to the Yankees or the Mets - or he could stay put. While the Angels seem to be OK with losing Figgins, they'll fight harder for Lackey, an innings-eater who threw well in the playoffs.

The market for Guerrero hasn't heated up yet, and it probably won't until a few more cards fall in place. Vlad will be 35 this spring and is coming off a poor season by his standards. But the Angels could be moving on without him.

And if the Angels lose all three, they might be very active on the trade or secondary free agent market. Roy Halladay and Curtis Granderson are both being talked about, and they could actually be upgrades over Lackey and Guerrero.

The Angels have won the AL West in five of the last six years, and they have the money to stay on top. But the Mariners are doing their best to make a move.

The Baseball Hall of Fame ballots are out for the 2010 class, and there are a few first-timers who should make the grade over the next few years. But I don't think any of them will make it this year in their first year of eligibility. Voters hold out that honor for only the best. But there are some guys on the ballot this season who will be in Cooperstown one day. Their chances from best to worst:

1. Roberto Alomar: A polarizing candidate. He was maybe the best defensive second baseman ever (10 Gold Gloves), was undoubtedly one of the best players of the 1990s and won two championships. But he fizzled quickly at the end of his career, is forever linked with spitting on umpire John Hirschbeck, and then there was this bombshell from earlier this year. He bounced around a lot, so he won't have that groundswell of support from a particular city. Still he retired just in time to have a .300 lifetime average and had 2,724 lifetime hits. Prediction: In, but not this season.
2. Barry Larkin: The former Cincinnati Reds shortstop was very good for a long time, but his career stats might lack a little. He had 2,340 hits (.295 lifetime average) and 198 homers. He won a World Series and was a nine-time Silver Slugger at a premium position. Prediction: In, but not this season.
3. Edgar Martinez: The former Seattle Mariners star was a hitting machine, batting .312 lifetime with 309 homers and 2,247 hits.Will voters dock him for being only a designated hitter for almost his entire career? Probably. Prediction: In, but not this season.
4. Fred McGriff: The "Crime Dog" finished just short of 500 homers (493), but was one of the great sluggers of the late 1980s and 1990s, and a steady performer. But like Alomar, he also bounced around an awful lot. Prediction: He'll hang on the ballot for several years, but will fall short.
5. Andres Galarraga: A great story if he makes it, a cancer survivor who achieved in his career. The former Montreal Expos, Colorado Rockies and Atlanta Braves star was great offensively and defensively. But the "Big Cat" only had 2,333 hits and 399 homers. Prediction: Same as McGriff.

On ballot, but no chance: Kevin Appier, Ellis Burks, Mike Jackson, Eric Karros, Ray Lankford, Shane Reynolds, David Segui, Robin Ventura, Todd Zeile.

Holdovers on the ballot with a decent chance to be elected include Andre Dawson and Bert Blyleven. But with no overwhelming candidate, it's not a slam dunk that there will be any inductees this season.

Results will be announced on Jan. 6.