Baseball is a game of following trends and adapting to new methods. Managing the future of a team’s prospects is no different from the on-field decision making, as there are several ways to prepare for the next breakout star.
The most recent—and controversial—strategy involving top prospects was the manipulation of their service time, only calling them up to the majors after an extra year of team control was secured. While beneficial to the team’s finances, it came at the cost of potentially angering the player and damaging relations down the line. The Chicago Cubs are still dealing with the fallout from their handling of star third baseman Kris Bryant’s call-up in 2015, and may trade him before all is said and done.