The Tennessee Smokies announced Friday that they have offered a player-coach contract to actor and utility man Will Ferrell following his performance with several Major League clubs on Thursday. Terms of the offer have not been disclosed, though some meatloaf and the four food groups (candy, candy cane, candy corn and syrup) are expected to be included in the deal.

The club extensively scouted Ferrell, with members of the Smokies front office in attendance in Arizona while the actor was playing ten different positions in five different Cactus League games Thursday to help raise money for Cancer for College and Stand Up To Cancer. Ferrell played first base and also served as third base coach for the Chicago Cubs, the Smokies' parent club on Thursday in their contest against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. After being traded from the Angels to the Cubs mid-game, Los Angeles immediately regretted their decision with Chicago erupting for four runs in the fourth inning, including a massive home run from 2014 Smokies outfielder Jorge Soler.

"We're not going to act like we weren't impressed," stated Smokies General Manager Brian Cox, one of the front office members in attendance. "The fact he can play every position and coach third base only increases his worth to us, and, he's kind of a big deal, so we thought it was a no-brainer."

Ferrell displayed good speed out in the field, fast enough that some would say he looked as if he was on fire, though he was not able to shake and bake his way on base in his lone plate appearance for the Cubs, striking out on three pitches. He also displayed a fastball known as "The Red Dragon" while pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, though Ferrell has said he would prefer to keep that on the downlow since it is not exactly street legal.

The actor does have a history in Minor League Baseball, though some would actually call it an optical illusion, as he portrayed a relief pitcher named Rojo Johnson back in 2010 for the Round Rock Express, the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers. The hurler faced just one batter in the game, throwing behind the unidentified hitter, and was promptly ejected, clearly a glass case of emotion as he was being chased off the field by the opposing hitter.

The team hopes this acquisition would vault them to a Southern League Championship for the upcoming 2015 season, because if you're not first, you're last.

The Smokies will begin their season with or without Will Ferrell on Thursday, April 9 on the road against the Mississippi Braves, the Double-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. The team will then return to Kodak to begin their 2015 home slate versus the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, on Wednesday, April 15 at 11:30 a.m. Opening Night is scheduled for the very next evening on Thursday, April 16, with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The team will also have several nights of their own to support organizations in the fight against cancer during the 2015 campaign, including the Susan G. Komen Foundation and Ed Randall Bat For The Cure.

Season ticket and multi-voucher ticket plans are currently available and can be purchased online at www.smokiesbaseball.com, or by calling the Smokies Ticket Office at (865) 286-2300. Single-game tickets are expected to go on sale beginning on Wednesday, March 18.