The baseball logic is sound. In a high-stakes industry where competitive edges are built on subjectivity and interpretation, here comes a cold and uncomfortable and airtight point straight from the mouth of a rival scout.
"If your club was serious about rebuilding," he said, "they'd trade the catcher."
The reference is to the Royals and their star Sal Perez, and the implications are enormous. Perez is by now a homegrown icon, signed as a teenager from Venezuela, still just 28 years old but already a five-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, World Series MVP, and a lock for the team Hall of Fame.