My point is that for a team that barely made the playoffs, and it took the final day to make it, their run differential was comparable to a team barely above .500. Strip the names from the baseball cards and focus on the offensive stats and you have a mediocre team with two sluggers that hit home runs and little more after that.
I agree, the team is so flawed when you really break it down.
Too not address anything before the lockout screams of Cashman trying to get a few discount deals in free agency post lockout and look like the genius to the media. It's not about the discounted players, its about the right players. Not holding onto these prospects for too long. I understand not paying Seager, Semien, and some of the others. Those contracts are ugly and will be uglier in the latter years of them, but at least try to address the things that plague the team. You had a STUD athletic freak CF staring at you in Marte and they didn't even sniff him. You let the Tigers trade for Tucker Barnhart for next to nothing. He is a pretty good catcher, much better than Sanchez. This team still has ALL of the players that have not gotten it done. The spread, melange, mix, bouquet, doesn't work.
Gallo is a nightmare, I cringe watching his at bats. SO what he has 40 hr power. I take 20-25 hrs and a 280 average any day.
Hicks? I can't fathom we will have to rely on this guy for another season. Its criminal to think he will stay healthy for a full season.
Sanchez is trash, only thing I can think of is maybe management thinks because '22 will be a contract year for him he has a big year, the average rebounds and he runs out the balls he actually manages to put into play. Or if you don't tender him, then the asking price in trades for a catcher goes up.
The league has caught up to Gio, Voit, and Torres. Torres has done nothing since the year of those juiced balls. Voit is a delicate flower, love the grit, but dude can't stay in the lineup. Gio does not provide the power you need from a corner position.
DJ will get a pass for last year because it seems like he was dealing with injury all year. Lets see.
Britton needs to be replaced with someone serviceable. It's not Rodriguez and Peralta will turn into a pumpkin in '22, he pitched WAY over his career stats in '21.
Cortes should be traded ASAP, career journeyman. CAREER era over 4.6, his value will never be any higher.
Love Severino but the guy hasn't been healthy or pitched a full season in 3 years. He is going to be relied on as a number 2? Maybe Tananka will be available? He had an excellent year in Japan, makes you wonder how they came to the decision to take Kluber over him.
So MANY bad decisions on talent evaluation, free agents, free agent contracts, trades, and even player development.