Winter isn’t only a time for trades and free-agent signings but a chance for speculation.
Attention goes to those who write the biggest checks or complete the most notable deals. Teams can win by spending money or selling off prospects. It’s not always a guarantee, though.
Smaller deals are made, and smaller-market teams receive less attention—and sometimes, a combination of the two pays the biggest dividends in an upcoming season.
They just don’t get noticed until the season starts, if not later.
Let’s change that by recognizing the unrecognized—under-the-radar teams that have had strong offseasons.