I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I think you just have to spend, the wisely part is optional. In the WC era, 20 of 29 World Series winners were top 10 in payroll, 6 more were top half and 3 were bottom half for opening day payroll. 2 of the 3 bottom half teams made trades that put them well into the top half that season. Moneyball is dead. Just spend and if you spend foolishly, spend more.
They spent money on "solutions" the past few years. Gray, so far, is the only free agent signing that's somewhat panned out, and he's no longer the ace. They spent money on Contreras, Fowler, Cecil, Matz, Mikolas, Gibson, Lynn, Carpenter, just foolish spending without any forethought to it.
I agree that they absolutely have to spend more, especially when there's no salary cap. I agree with fixing mistakes by spending (i.e., they should f***ing trade or cut Mikolas and Matz - not one of the two; both of them, let Gibson and Lynn go - again, both of them, along with Goldschmidt - trade Contreras, anything to get anything out of those deals, get out of Arenado's deal right now when he's in decline, etc.), and I agree with spending on the right players, particularly homegrown players.
But like any team, it's not enough to
have money to spend; you have to be
smart with it. If they sign over-the-hill players and expect to get to the playoffs...well, I don't trust this front office to be smart like I do with the Blues and Los Angeles Rams. They will need the mother of all offseasons to make me care about what they do, and it's hanging on by a f***ing fraying thread.
this team sucks ass
