Mike Freeman

The player with the most FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement in all of baseball for the 2020 season? Cleveland's Jose Ramirez. Is he suddenly the American League MVP favorite? At very least he's in the conversation with Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson: es.pn/3iSThVL

The Houston Astros have traded their best player, Kyle Tucker, and are letting go of Alex Bregman, who has the most WAR for them since his first full season in 2017. In the meantime, they will pay first basemen Christian Walker and José Abreu a combined $39.5 million in 2025. The consequences of an unwillingness to go beyond six years on a contract reveal themselves in moments like this. Bregman and Tucker were drafted and developed by the Astros machine, which will struggle to retain its best talent as long as it places arbitrary restrictions on itself. This is an uncapped sport. The best players get more than six years in free agency. The Astros remain formidable. A team with Walker, Yordan Álvarez, José Altuve, Yainer Díaz, Jeremy Peña, Framber Valdez, Hunter Brown, Josh Hader and more. They will be a contender and have the talent to win a World Series. But they are an objectively lesser team than last year, and that's no small thing in a close AL West.

I recently read about man who collects pictures of hitters who had hit walk-off home runs. He said that the reason he did this is because this is how he views us entering heaven. Look at the faces of his teammates waiting to welcome him home. Look at their excitement. They can’t wait to celebrate with him. Look at the fans. Arms raised, big smiles, maybe even hugs for a perfect stranger. Perhaps this is your first holiday season without someone important who is now waiting for you in heaven. Maybe it’s just another one with that big hole in your heart and an empty seat at the table. Either way, I hope you can find encouragement in this picture, what it represented to the man who collected it, and find joy this year. #heaven #hope #joy #grief

One of the all time best retirement gifts just arrived in the mail. Courtesy of someone I would have never expected! @Cubs @eddievedder #ianhappstillknockingitoutofthepark

Cardinals fans give Paul Skenes an ovation as he exits in the seventh inning

Team 127 🐅 Battled to the end.

CAM. CANNARELLA. NO. DOUBTER. 🚀 362 ft 💨 102 mph T9 || CU 9, FLA 9 🖥 bit.ly/3VzTBi0

Florida defeats Clemson 10-7. STORY ➡️ bit.ly/3XdpSg7

CAM CANNARELLA GOES YARD!!!! 🚀 401 ft 💨 101 mph B8 || CCU 5, CU 7 🖥 bit.ly/4c05cfK

One of Cam Cannarella's best at-bats of the season gave @ClemsonBaseball the lead late last night! ⚾️👏

Here is video that I took of Scheffler being arrested:

He'll always remember that one 🥺 Leo Rivas records a TRIPLE in his first @MLB at-bat! #TridentsUp

Our waitlist is officially live! Secure your spot in line for the most reliable, secure baby monitoring system now at harbor.co

I have given away hundreds of thousands of dollars. Here is the account, strategy, and process I use to give more to my favorite charity and less to the IRS: First of all, giving is about the heart, not the tax benefit. But if we can combine a desire to give and optimal tax treatment it is a win win win. •More to your charity •Creating a bigger impact •Reducing your overall tax bill __________ The Account 📒 I use a Donor Advised Fund or DAF. I put assets into this account, invest those assets inside of the DAF, and give the money away over time. This has been optimal for me to maximize in high-earning years when my tax rate was rising. 📈 I bunch together years of future donations into one year. Example: If my goal is to give away $20,000 a year. •Donate 5 years worth of giving ($100,000) •Current year tax deduction on the full $100,000 •Invest the $100,000 inside the DAF and give the funds away over five years This is optimal for three reasons: 👇👇👇 1) I maximize the year I am in the highest tax bracket. 2) I can now itemize my deductions and not just take the standard deduction ($29,200 if married). 3) I have future growth potential inside the DAF and control of when I want to give the money to my favorite charity. __________ The Strategy 🗺️ Now that we understand how a DAF can be beneficial, here is how we supercharge the benefit. Never give away cash! I donate my highest appreciated positions (stocks, mutual funds, ETFs) to my DAF. 📈 This provides me with a double tax benefit. Ex. If I bought $50,000 worth of META stock one year ago it would be worth ~ $132,000 today. •Donate my META position •Receive a tax deduction on the full $132,000 •Avoid all capital gains on the gain of $82,000 This is optimal for three reasons: 👇👇👇 1) I get a tax deduction on the full amount. 2) I avoid capital gains on my largest gains. 3) It allows me to divest a concentrated position. __________ The Process ⛯ We understand the account and the strategy ~ here is how I implement this: I use Fidelity Charitable but some other great options are Schwab and Vanguard. 1) Open a DAF account. 2) Fund your DAF with appreciated securities. 3) Invest inside of your DAF depending on your time horizon to grant your donations to your favorite charity. 4) When ready, make grants out of your DAF to the 501(c)(3) charity of your choice. A few notes: 👇👇👇 - Once you put assets into a DAF you have effectively given that money away. - DAF strategies can work well for athletes facing increased earning years (signing bonus and free agent deals) and entrepreneurs navigating an exit. - DAF are far easier and more cost-effective to set up than foundations for 99% of families. ~ 📌If you found this valuable share it ♻️ with your network and follow me for more ways to get smarter with your money 💸.