Front Office Guides
The concepts behind every trade, signing and deadline decision — written for fans who want to argue about baseball transactions with real numbers behind them.
How MLB Trade Value Is Actually Calculated
A plain-English walkthrough of the surplus value model front offices use: dollars per WAR, contract cost, control years, aging curves, and where prospects fit.
9 min read · Updated 2026-07-29
The MLB Luxury Tax (CBT), Explained
How baseball's competitive balance tax works: how payroll is calculated with AAV, what the thresholds and repeat-offender rates are, and the draft-pick penalties that follow.
8 min read · Updated 2026-07-29
Service Time, Arbitration and Free Agency: The Six-Year Clock
How MLB service time works, what Super Two means, how arbitration salaries are set, and why control years drive nearly every trade and roster decision.
7 min read · Updated 2026-07-29
Trade Deadline Strategy: How Contenders and Sellers Actually Think
A practical guide to deadline decision-making: playoff odds math, rental pricing, salary retention, three-team deals, and the mistakes armchair GMs make most often.
8 min read · Updated 2026-07-29
How to Read a Farm System
What prospect rankings actually mean, how to read age relative to level, why ETA matters, and how to tell a real prospect from organizational depth.
7 min read · Updated 2026-07-29