It was not an optimum year for it. The free-agent pool was not deep where we needed it. But it was good at the very top and we do feel we siphoned off some of that when we signed Jarrod.

We've been able to make adjustments needed to recover from breakdowns. This year we are much more deep.

We needed to clinch Cleveland. That's a key for this team because we are not that deep.

Fame has sent a number of celebrities off the deep end, and in the case of Michael Jackson, to the kiddy pool.

Even when I was a free agent last year, my agent approached Milwaukee. Milwaukee was one of the first places on my list.

I'm not surprised. It's obviously had a chilling effect on free-agent signings. But that's the way it goes. It's just something [the players' association] will have to look at the next go-round.