South Platte said:Proposition Joe said:
This was a team that was picked to finish 3rd in the division. They finished 80-82, in 2nd place.
I get being upset about the roster construction and development, but I guess I just don't see any blatant malpractice this year like you saw in the truly bad years.
We should've spent about $20MM more to shore some things up and cast off your Burgers and Pedersons, but for the most part the team failed this year because guys you were counting on had massive dips (Seager, Langford, deGrom), not because the roster was mis-managed or mis-constructed.
If Langford, Seager and deGrom give you what they did just last year, that +6.2 WAR and a 86-76 team that is the #2 seed.
And the latter two aren't your Adolis-Garcia-esque or Jonah Heim type players that had career years last year. They had production well within their historical norms. And Wyatt was our #1 draft pick that most still think will be a very good player so in no world were you going to start the season without him in the lineup.
Man, I get all of the elements, the retrospective stuff. But this is about 9 out of 10 years being a failing franchise. There is a big picture problem that runs deep and needs a nuclear event. I don't think a few million or roster tweaks gets us there. We have entered Pirates / Rockies territory in terms of futility.
I don't disagree, I just don't think THIS year was in any way going to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Maybe if we lost 100 and there was no hope on the horizon.
We're not anywhere near Pirates/Rockies territory. Pirates haven't been to a Championship Series since 1992.
Rockies have been to one Championship Series. 2007. No other times.
The gap between them and us is a CHASM. We're not a bottom feeding franchise no matter how much it sucks to not win.
I wouldn't even say we're a middling franchise. More than half the league has less playoff appearances than we do the last 20 years.
In the last 20 years, only 2 franchises have more World Series appearances than we do. The Yankees don't. The Red Sox don't.
So again, I get it... we all wish there was more consistency and a longer window. But this idea that we're some destitute franchise that one good year and has never been relevant outside of that is simply not true.
Had we not won the title in 2023 or were still finishing 20 games back the last few years I'd be a little more alarmed - and the next few years may absolutely turn into "we're in a bad spot" territory if Seager has truly fallen off the cliff, Wyatt turns out to be a pumpkin and Jung can't stay on the field. Then we're talking a lot of dead money and waiting on the future. But one year isn't enough for me to make that call yet. We're one decent FA signing away from being a contender, not "nuclear, blow it up" territory.
