Somewhere in the Kansas City Royals’ offseason plan, there should be a line that says “move first.” Jacob Milham and Jeremy Greco make the case that the teams who win the winter are the ones willing to take the swing, and that a looming lockout is about to shrink the window for everyone else.
The timing is the hook. Free agents may rush to sign before any CBA shutdown, and trades could keep moving even if a lockout hits. Then an Orioles owner accidentally revealed how profitable MLB really is, which
raises a fair question about payroll excuses and how fans should think about ownership. The Rays and Brewers show what that looks like in practice, building contenders through trades and accepting that a few moves will miss. Jeremy and Jacob revisit the outcomes from their trade series and see how the Baseball Trade Values model graded them.
They also fill out ballots for the first-ever Athlete1 awards, from executive of the year to rookie of the year, with breakout seasons from Pete Crow-Armstrong, Mason Miller, and Kevin McGonigle in the mix. The Arizona Fall League gets the last word, with Angeibel Gomez, Zion Rose, and Justin Lamkin all pushing for a faster path to Kansas City.
If you want to know why the winter may start earlier than you think, press play, then tell us which trade you would make first.
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