Though the announcement is not official yet, and announcement is expected Monday from the Atlanta brass. The deal, reportedly worth about 2.5 million bucks, is for one year. This means that neither the Braves nor Anderson are married to a long term commitment. That is a good thing for both of them in case the change does not work out.

Looking at the situation of both players they were seeking in Griffey and Anderson, the Braves may have gotten luckier than they realize. Anderson is only 36 and continues to be highly productive in his later years. Griffey is a major risk of being injured, and would be coming off of off season knee surgery. Anderson is relatively healthy coming in.

Consider last season for the Angels. Anderson batted his usual .293 and hit 15 home runs. He also drove in a solid 84 RBIs. This was in only 145 games. That type of production would be perfect for the Braves, and he may even supersede them if he gets the at bats. Anderson has hit .296 during his career, and is about as consistent as you could hope for at the plate. The Braves really need some reliable standby players to offset the growing pains of their youngsters.

Anderson should platoon and share at bats with Matt Diaz, and is expected to be an important piece of the puzzle for Atlanta right out of the gate. His veteran presence will certainly be a large part of this team, and his work ethic as well. Anderson is especially important for the Braves against left handed pitching, as the Braves are short handed in that match up.

All in all, the Braves may not sell as many tickets with Anderson as they would have with Griffey Jr. They will not sell as many jerseys, pennants, and bobble heads either. But they might just win more games. And that is just fine with them.

During the period of the eighties and early nineties, Henderson was an absolute beast on the baseball diamond. He could absolutely control a baseball game with his feet as he would often swipe second and third in a single inning. Nobody in the history of Major League Baseball has stolen more bases or scored more runs than Rickey Henderson. Henderson was no slouch at the plate, either. He was about as likely to pop a home run as to hit a slicing triple, and that gave his game an extra dimension during his best years.

It was these qualities that led to Henderson being voted in on the first ballot at a cool 94.8 percent. Henderson is the 44th player to be elected into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26th along with Boston slugger Jim Rice. Rice is entering the Hall of Fame on the final ballot, and made it by the skin of his teeth. Others that came up just short included Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, Lee Smith, and Jack Morris.

Henderson was easily one of the best leadoff hitters of all time. He would start a game off with a home run 81 times throughout his career, and nobody knows how many times Henderson would reach and steal second to start a game. He generated runs for a team at a record pace throughout his career, and made virtually every team he played for a much better one. In his long and illustrious career, Henderson stole more bases and scored more runs than any player in history. His stolen base record is nearly double the second place Lou Brock. Many feel that his records might not be broken. This includes the single season stolen base record of 130 that he accomplished during the 1982 season with Oakland.

Henderson’s Hall of Fame Resume:

Sabathia, a 6’7” lefthander, gives the Bronx Bombers the ace they’ve been looking for. The Yankees sealed the deal by increasing their offer to $161 million over seven years and adding an opt-out clause after the third year. That provides Sabathia with a chance to leave if things don’t work out in New York and, more likely, a chance to extend the deal for more money in 2012.

Meanwhile, the Mets, owners of one of the major’s worst bullpens in 2008, added free agent closer Francisco “K-Rod” Rodriguez. The Amazins inked Rodriguez to a three-year deal worth about $37 million with a vesting option for a fourth year. Mets GM Omar Minaya didn’t stop there. On Wednesday, he traded Aaron Heilman, Joe Smith, Endy Chavez and three prospects in a three-team deal for Seattle Mariners closer J.J. Putz. Putz and Rodriguez give the Mets a lethal back end of the bullpen.

Some of the more notable names that didn’t sign include sluggers Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez and pitchers Derek Lowe and A.J. Burnett.

The market for Ramirez is remarkably low. The Dodgers, his former team, don’t seem inclined to offer any more than the two-year deal they have on the table. Ramirez is seeking at least four years and preferably five. Latest word is that the Los Angeles Angels may make a two-year offer worth about $50 million if they lose Teixeira.

Teixeira, on the other hand, has several suitors. The Washington Nationals have reportedly offered $180 million over eight years while the Baltimore Orioles and Angels have offered lucrative five-year contracts. Still, most experts believe “Big Tex” is heading for Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox. No word on a firm offer from Boston is available, but the team has been in contact with Teixeira’s agent, Scott Boras.

AJ Burnett, a hard-throwing but often injured righthander, has offers on the table from the Yankees and the Atlanta Braves. Both deals are for five years and around $85 million. Look for Burnett to be signed to a deal in the next couple days, with the Yankees as the frontrunner.

Lowe has now become the hottest commodity among pitchers with at least five teams – including the Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Phillies and Braves – looking into signing him. Lowe is known for his durability and excellent sinking fastball.

Other free agents on the market include Adam Dunn, Raul Ibanez, Randy Wolf and Rafael Furcal.

Dunn, who averages 40 home runs and 180 strikeouts a year, has drawn interest from just a couple teams. Many believe the Washington Nationals will make a strong push to add the slugger to their roster.

Furcal has several teams vying for his services, including the Oakland A’s, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves.

Ibanez has been linked the Mets, Phillies and Angels, while Wolf has yet to receive any firm offers.

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