TAMPA — First, let's catch up on Pop Quiz questions:
1. From Bob Franzem of Queens: Name the catcher who appeared as himself in a 1959 episode of "Lassie."
2. From Andy Romanic of Freeport: In the 1994 film "Little Big League," Twins owner Thomas Heywood (Jason Robards) quizzes his grandson Billy (Luke Edwards) on who was on deck when Bobby Thomson hit his famous home run for the 1951 Giants. Who was on deck?
3. From Romanic: Name the first baseman who was said to be the inspiration for the Roy Hobbs character in Bernard Malamud's 1952 novel "The Natural."
4. From Romanic: Name the Oscar-winning actor who played the title role in the 1981 TV film "Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige."
5. From Anthony Angello of Babylon: Name the baseball team mentioned in the Billy Joel song "Miami 2017."
I like doing an "Offseason Winners and Losers" column each year, but there's an inherent problem with doing one in late January or early February: A team can make great moves, but what good are they if the club proceeds to have an injury-filled spring training?
Spring training, after all, is part of the offseason in the most literal sense. Teams are still getting ready and making moves in preparation for the games that count.
So with camps on the verge of breaking, let's assess how all 30 teams have fared from the end of their 2014 seasons until now. We'll divide them up into leagues and do it near-zero-sum game style. After all, if your club got better, but its rivals improved by far more, then your team would be a loser.
AL winners
1. Red Sox: Whether you think they can win the AL East with this pitching staff remains up for debate. But there's no disputing that, since the Red Sox had torn themselves down by Game 162 last year, they're much more primed to contend.
2. White Sox: Melky Cabrera, Zach Duke, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson and Jeff Samardzija. Not too shabby, as Adam Sandler once sang.
3. Astros: Improved their bullpen by importing veterans Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek and bought low on center fielder Colby Rasmus.
4. Angels: In all, it was an underwhelming winter (and early spring, and late fall, for that matter) for the entire AL. The Angels get on the winners' list most of all because they didn't get markedly worse as other clubs did. And while everyone wishes good health for Josh Hamilton, the fact is the team would gain some payroll flexibility if Hamilton winds up serving a long suspension for his drug relapse.
5. A's: Traded away two prime commodities in Samardzija (to the White Sox) and Josh Donaldson (to Toronto), but they picked up very interesting pieces such as Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard, as well as a less interesting piece in Billy Butler.
Nelson CruzPhoto: AP
6. Mariners: While Nelson Cruz is 34 and will be playing his home games in pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, he has been high-impact for a long time now.
7. Blue Jays: The loss of Marcus Stroman (torn left ACL) for the season dampens the Jays' hopes. Yet the East looks like a wide-open division, and the additions of Donaldson, Russell Martin and Michael Saunders makes the team better overall.
AL losers
1. Orioles: Bade farewell to Cruz, Nick Markakis (Braves) and Andrew Miller (Yankees) via free agency. They didn't say so long to executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette, as they blocked him from becoming the Blue Jays' team president. So that's something.
2. Indians: If they had been any quieter these last few months, you'd accuse them of using ninja focus to slow their heart rate down, like Will Ferrell in "Step Brothers."
3. Tigers: Max Scherzer departed for Washington, Justin Verlander is dealing with a right triceps problem and the bullpen still looks like a potential sinkhole.
4. Royals: The defending AL champions replaced James Shields with Edinson Volquez and Butler with Kendrys Morales. Underwhelming.
5. Twins: An Ervin Santana overpay was the Twins' only big move.
Brandon McCarthyPhoto: AP
6. Yankees: You could argue for placement in the "Winners" side thanks just to Derek Jeter's retirement (in case you missed it, Jeter was awful last year). Yet the Yankees let Hiroki Kuroda (Hiroshima) and Brandon McCarthy (Dodgers) walk, and tried to balance that by trading Shane Greene to Detroit and trading for Nathan Eovaldi and re-signing Chris Capuano. Their starting rotation is a potential disaster.
7. Rays: By the time last year's World Series ended, the Rays had lost iconic front-office chief Andrew Friedman to the Dodgers and iconic manager Joe Maddon to the Cubs. By the time spring training wraps up, this team will have lost starting pitchers Alex Cobb (right forearm) and Drew Smyly (left shoulder) to the disabled list.
8. Rangers: Prince Fielder is back from neck surgery, joined by his former Brewers teammate Yovani Gallardo. Yet Yu Darvish's succumbing to Tommy John surgery negates all of the good stuff.
NL winners
1. Braves: The rebuilding approach makes great sense in the bigger picture. Better to go all in than try to walk the contending/not-contending tightrope that too many teams attempt (and fall off).
2. Cubs: Maddon comes aboard as manager with a shiny new ace in Jon Lester. And once Kris Bryant sufficiently improves his defense (sarcasm alert) to earn a call-up to the bigs, this team will really be something.
3. Dodgers: With Friedman taking over the baseball operations, went high-risk, high-reward in signing the injury-prone McCarthy and Brett Anderson and the getting-up-there Jimmy Rollins. Add Howie Kendrick and subtract Matt Kemp, and you have a formidable entity, albeit one with bullpen concerns.
4. Marlins: I'm not as high on Dee Gordon as others are (including the Marlins), but I like Martin Prado, and I think fourth outfielder is an ideal role for Ichiro Suzuki. Speaking of outfielders, signing Giancarlo Stanton to the largest deal ever bodes well for the franchise. Dan Haren and Mat Latos provide veteran rotation depth.
Jung Ho KangPhoto: AP
5. Pirates: Yes, they lost Martin to Torronto, but they re-signed Francisco Liriano and brought back old pal A.J. Burnett and I like the high-upside moves of trading for the Yankees' Francisco Cervelli and signing Korean free agent Jung Ho Kang.
6. Padres: The loudest offseason of the season just might pay off, with Kemp, Wil Myers and Justin Upton constituting a brand new outfield. Oh, and the Padres signed Shields, too.
7. Cardinals: I liked the trade for Jason Heyward, a two-way player.
8. Nationals: Have suffered through a rough spring, with injuries sidelining or slowing down Denard Span (core surgery), Anthony Rendon (left knee) and Jayson Werth (right shoulder). None look debilitating, though, and the signing of Scherzer gives Washington a ridonkulous starting rotation.
NL losers
Yasmany TomasPhoto: Getty Images
1. Diamondbacks: Signed Yasmany Tomas, only to try him at third base, which by all accounts hasn't gone well. Also, the notion that former Yankee Peter O'Brien is the catcher of the future took a hit as O'Brien experienced troubles throwing the ball back to the mound and wound up getting outfield shifts.
2. Reds: Going back to thoughts on the Braves, the Reds traded Latos and Alfredo Simon (to Detroit), then turned around and got Marlon Byrd from the Phillies. Which way are the Reds going?
3. Rockies: See Cleveland.
4. Brewers: Traded Gallardo to Texas and received Adam Lind from Toronto, and that about did it. Getting over .500 figures to be a struggle.
5. Mets: Michael Cuddyer brings power and professionalism, and John Mayberry Jr. could be a great late-inning weapon. Yet both Josh Edgin and Zack Wheeler succumbed to Tommy John surgery in spring training, and Vic Black (right shoulder) looks likely to start the season on the disabled list. The Mets' improved organizational depth might allow them to elevate this season, but their lack of financial might still sticks out like a sore elbow.
6. Phillies: Finally began blowing things up, with Rollins off to the Dodgers and Byrd to Cincinnati. However, Cole Hamels. Ryan Howard and Jonathan Papelbon remain on the roster, and Cliff Lee has zero trade value due to left-elbow issues that resurfaced. In short, the Phillies are a mess, still.
7. Giants: Besides the 1997 Marlins, has a reigning champion ever experienced a worse offseason? Pablo Sandoval bolted, Lester said thanks but no thanks and the Plan Bs (Casey McGehee at third base, Jake Peavy in the rotation) underwhelm. Hunter Pence's broken left forearm darkened the cloud over this team. Oh well. It's an odd-numbered year, anyway.
Your Pop Quiz answers:
1. Roy Campanella
2. Willie Mays
3. Eddie Waitkus
4. Louis Gosset Jr.
5. The Yankees
If you have a tidbit that correlates baseball with popular culture, please send it to kdavidoff@nypost.com.
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