“You’re gonna want to sit down for this,” Rosario said, placing one coffee and the folder on Graham’s desk with the flair of a man delivering either a gift or a court summons.
“I’m already sitting,” Graham said, not looking up from trying to wedge the 2063 BNN Prospect Handbook between Roster Construction in the Era of Load Management and How to Win Friends and Alienate Roommates (2nd Edition).
“Even better,” Rosario said. “We went 0-for-4 in arbitration.”
Graham froze.
“All four?”
“Clean sweep,” Rosario confirmed. “The kind of sweep that makes you question the legitimacy of the process, your life choices, and the long-term viability of payroll sanity.”
He tapped the folder. “Alvarez's agent cited ‘emotional glue guy energy’ in his case. Brought stats. Charts. A testimonial from the team nutritionist.”
“He eats raw crickets with chop sticks,” Graham muttered. “During games.”
“Protein is protein,” Rosario shrugged. “Also, it turns out Malcolm Gray has a side hustle as a motivational speaker and included a QR code for his podcast in the evidence packet.”
Graham opened the folder. Inside: four arbitration rulings, all in bold, all painful. The budget didn’t exactly buckle, but it definitely creaked.
Still, no regrets. Not really. Graham had already begun the delicate operation of carving up the roster, cutting loose the joyless OPS merchants and accumulating the thing the Johannesburg Gold had lacked for years: fielders. Actual defenders. Players who saw a ground ball and didn’t react like it was a surprise party.
“Turned over about a quarter of the roster already,” Rosario said, now pacing. “Six new gloves in the lower minors. Three middle infielders. Two center fielders. One guy from Texas who tags up like it’s an Olympic sport.”
Graham looked past Rosario to the roster board pinned to the office wall. It now resembled a crime investigation, complete with color-coded index cards, red string pinned in every direction, and a hastily scrawled sticky note that read “FIND A LOOGY WITH SOUL.”
“We’re building something,” Graham said, more to himself than anyone else.
“Defense travels,” Rosario added, unhelpfully but confidently.
“Stop saying that like it’s your catchphrase.”
Rosario held up both hands in surrender. “Fine. Let’s talk next steps.”
The Winter Meetings loomed, an annual front office ritual where big-market BBA clubs flexed financial muscles and GBC executives mostly exchanged knowing glances over stale danishes.
“You know the drill,” Rosario said, carefully lowering himself onto a wobbly folding chair. “No one makes trades unless they’re bored or trapped in a service elevator.”
“So we focus on Rule 5,” Graham said.
Rosario nodded. “Our Super Bowl. Our Hunger Games. Our annual hunt for undervalued weirdos with one elite tool and no plan B.”
Graham scribbled a heading on his whiteboard: Rule 5 Targets
He leaned back in his chair. Outside the window, the Golden Palace grounds crew worked on the infield. The office smelled like paint, coffee, and the faint hint of possibility.2B who doesn't need to crow hop to throw to first
Veteran SP with mediocre stuff and elite deception
Lefty bats who can fake a corner outfield spot
Menace-first relievers with no feel for society
“No such thing as a quiet offseason,” Graham said.
Rosario stood, already texting someone on his flip phone. Graham stared, momentarily mesmerized. Was he watching a man communicate on a device last seen clipped to a batting coach’s belt in 2008?
“I’ll be in the video room watching footage of that Canadian outfielder who throws like a trebuchet," Rosario said as he made his way out of Graham's office.
“Please make sure he’s real this time,” hollered Graham.
“No promises!," Rosario shouted back, already halfway down the hall.
Graham looked back at the arbitration folder. Then at the roster board. Then at the blinking calendar alert reminding him the Winter Meetings were in four days and he still hadn’t booked a hotel.
0-for-4. No regrets. The rebuild wasn’t flashy. But it was underway.
And Graham Luna was finally putting his fingerprints on this team, smudges and all.