18 CARDINALS MAGAZINE
But that’s not how it goes. Instead, you put your faith in your
agent. When you hire one, you are trusting that he knows your
potential and value better than you do. He is fact-driven, not
emotion-driven. So you let him do his job. You sit back and wait for
him to present you with offers he considers fair.
In our case, Casey presented us all the offers, good and bad.
Some were insulting; some were impressive. I had the opportunity
to realize there are some amazing general managers who have faith
in a player as a person and view him as more than just a collection
of statistics. Those people choose to bet on you. For a player, the
emotional swing between “Am I worthy?” and “Wow, this team
really loves me and wants me” begins to make the decision easier.
The most agonizing part about the
process was balancing the consideration of
what’s best for the family versus what’s best
for Dexter’s career. He is a natural-born
competitor, and he wants to win, but he
also wants the best possible outcome for
his family.
But that dilemma, ironically, also is a
reminder that you’re confronting the best
part of the process: For the first time in a
player’s life, he can actually think about
those options! Players work their entire lives
for this moment – the moment when they
can choose their priority. At the end of the
day, it’s all about finding the sweet spot.
There also is an unwritten rule (this is,
after all, baseball) that you don’t talk about
free agency with other players and spouses.
It’s extremely tricky and sometimes
awkward, but you do your best to avoid
that conversation. You might get the
occasional comment of “Come to our team!”
but usually you reply with a laugh, and
you’re on to the next thing.
The digital generation is able to connect with players and
understand them more than ever before. Dexter and I are extremely
engaged with our followers on social media. We’ve always been
authentic and honest, so when the time came after the 2016 season
for our goodbye to the Cubs and hello to the Cardinals, it was
easy. People already know who we are and trust that we are being
genuine. There are going to be a few fans who believe it’s as simple
as, “Why didn’t you pick us!?” But it’s not, and you just have to hope
those fans understand.
After weeks of not knowing where you’re going to end up, it is
over with one phone call. You look up, and Dex is on the next plane
to St. Louis to make it official. There is very little time for a player
to get acclimated. He has to hit the ground running.
Dex made an immediate connection with his “future squad,”
the coaches and staff. The moment he found out he was going to
be a Cardinal, he became a Cardinal, and now it runs through his
veins. It’s a unique experience that only a player truly understands,
and one that, as a spouse, I could only witness and admire. I felt an
immediate shift in my husband. This new feeling of freedom and
happiness just completely overtook him.
For me, it meant going into overdrive: spring training rentals,
St. Louis property, realtors, budgets, packing, schools, car shipments,
flights, you name it.
After all the uncertainty and all the hard work, Dex was able to
get back to what he loves most. At the end of the day, that’s all you
want as a spouse. Well, that and Dexter’s jersey in every color and
size for everyone in our family, of course!$
15
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ofer, special rate or discount. Black-out dates may apply. Service of alcohol is subject to state and local laws. Expires 12/30/18.“I anticipated free agency would be a hands-on process, but in reality it’s Dex’s
agent who took the lead, going deep into negotiations while Dex and I sat back
until he was ready to present us with offers (good and bad).”
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