The season is over. That’s sad. However, the offseason is a season all on it’s own, and it hasn’t even begun yet. Qualifying offers, free agents, trades, early extensions, the rule 5 draft, arbitration, there’s just so much going on. With the exception of that month or two period between the hot stove cooling and pitchers and catchers reporting, you could say following baseball is a yearlong hobby.
Sometimes, offseason moves bleed into the regular season. Such was the case for top international amateur free agent Luis Robert this May. Due to the convoluted nature of the rules governing international amateurs (which The Red Baron spells out here), the Cards were in a unique spot to possibly be high bidders on the Cuban phenom.