{"podcast":{"title":"Most Valuable Agent with Matt Hannaford","slug":"most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172","podcast_index_feed_id":6966172,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/538017/rss","website_url":"https://sites.libsyn.com/538017","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/6/3/2/3/6323116aac6709c3d959afa2a1bf1c87/MVA_FINAL_COVER.png","author":"Matt Hannaford","episode_count":115,"summary":"Welcome to Most Valuable Agent – the podcast that gives baseball players, prospects, and fans an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to succeed in professional baseball. Hosted by Matt Hannaford, a Major League Baseball agent with years of experience in contract negotiations and player representation, this channel is a must-watch for: • Athletes looking to advance their careers • Parents supporting young players • Baseball fans who want a deeper understanding of the game beyond the field What You'll Learn: • MLB Contracts & Draft Insights – How players get signed, negotiate contracts, and maximize opportunities • The Business of Baseball – Arbitration, free agency, and how teams evaluate talent • Expert Interviews & Analysis – Conversations with players, scouts, and insiders • MLB News & Market Trends – Breaking down trades, signings, and player negotiations 👉 Subscribe now for exclusive insights from one of baseball's top agents! New episodes weekly. You can watch the full episodes on The Most Valuable Agent Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@mostvaluableagent","last_synced_at":"2026-07-29T22:22:08.173294+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172"},"episode":{"title":"Travel Baseball Can Cost You More Than Money","slug":"travel-baseball-can-cost-you-more-than-money","published_at":"2026-07-01T14:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172/travel-baseball-can-cost-you-more-than-money","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172","url":"https://f19dff7d-cba9-4d19-b009-9fdbdd27ffc9.libsyn.com/travel-baseball-can-cost-you-more-than-money","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/f19dff7d-cba9-4d19-b009-9fdbdd27ffc9/v1_076_Real_Cost_Travel_Ball_MVA.mp3?dest-id=4634517","summary":"Travel baseball can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, and the real bill is bigger than the checks you are writing. Here is what you are actually paying for. MLB agent Matt Hannaford adds up the real cost of travel baseball so you can stop overpaying and start spending on what actually develops your son. Subscribe for the insider playbook on recruiting, the transfer portal, and the MLB Draft. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN The full cost of travel baseball that most families never add up Why spending more does not mean your son is developing more When a roster spot you are paying for is no longer worth it The cost that has nothing to do with money: your relationship with your son How to capture the benefit of travel baseball at the lowest possible cost Matt Hannaford answers three real questions from travel baseball parents, and every one of them comes back to cost. First, the obvious bill: entry fees, program dues, flights, rental cars, hotels, and food. Matt is direct that travel baseball is a completely different animal than Little League, and that the financial buy-in is real before you talk about anything else. Then comes the cost most families never see coming. Parents spend all of this money chasing exposure early, and end up in the hole 20, 40, sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars, only to reach 16 and wonder why their son still is not being recruited. Matt explains the order that protects your wallet: development first, then competition, then exposure, because August 1 of junior year is the first time a Division I program can even contact you. You can go to almost no events, focus on development, and your son is still not behind. He points to Steph Curry, who developed his game and went to Davidson, and Evan Longoria, who went from junior college to Long Beach Sta…","meta_description":"Travel baseball can cost you tens of thousands of dollars, and the real bill is bigger than the checks you are writing. Here is what you are actually payi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2315,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172/episodes/travel-baseball-can-cost-you-more-than-money/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/most-valuable-agent-with-matt-hannaford-6966172/travel-baseball-can-cost-you-more-than-money.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}