Don’t trade Bobby Witt Jr.

On a Thursday in June 2004, the Kansas City Royals made perhaps one of their worst decisions so far this century. The team was 28-41 and 11.0 games back of the division-leading Minnesota Twins. The Royals would finish that season with an abysmal 58-104 record. That Thursday in June, they made a three-way trade with the Oakland Athletics and Houston Astros. After the trade, the Astros’ general manager at the time, Gerry Hunsicker, called the trade “obviously huge for our organization.”

That trade sent outfielder Carlos Beltrán in to Houston. In return, the Royals ended up with “highly touted” third baseman, Mark Teahan, pitcher Mike Wood, and catcher John Buck. The post-trade sentiment in the…