https://totallytigers.wordpress.com/2023/10/17/watercooler-wednesday-106/
WATERCOOLER WEDNESDAY.
Totally Tigers
(Editor?s Note: The original blog sent out contained the wrong poll. The correct one has replaced it and may be seen below.)
This year?s playoffs have journalists and fans talking about the wide mix of teams who earned a slot. In particular, how teams? payrolls varied so widely. Some with very low salaries and others among the top in spending.
Then there are the teams who were among the biggest spenders this year but didn?t see October. Some of them finishing under .500. Some of them never in contention.
And it is the primary reason why owners will spend hundreds of millions.
To contend.
But is it as simple as spending lots of money in order to become one of MLB?s best teams?
Here?s what Scott Harris said recently as he discussed what the Tigers will do in the off-season:
?What I think about this offseason is that it?s important to remind ourselves there aren?t any shortcuts to contention. Recent history in this game will tell you. Certain organizations have either over-estimated their proximity to contention or they have tried to take a shortcut to contention by spending heavily in free agency, and it hasn?t worked.
?It hasn?t pushed them forward and, in fact, in some cases, it set them back.?
If we look at the Tigers, Mike Ilitch was one of MLB?s cheapest owners for the first 13 years. It was only in 2005 that he decided he wanted a ring and was often the owner who spent the most on free agents from 2005 through 2016. In those years, the Tigers won a lot of games but in the end they only earned
1 win out of 9 games in 2 World Series appearances.
After that, the Tigers have spent the last 7 years (and counting) tearing down and trying to rebuild.
The Tigers can look to their last foray into significant free agency spending. It was before the 2022 season, when they promised more than $400+ million for 4 free agents and ended up regressing to a 66-win season. It was this premature move that proved to be the final straw for Chris Ilitch who fired him before the end of the season.
All of this begs the question: Is it wise for a baseball team to try to buy its way into contention?
What do you think? Is this a wise strategy? Is it worth the price which is almost always a tear down and rebuild?
Or are there better and more successful ways of building a roster?
Let?s kick start some good discussion threads here ? and to take with you wherever you go during the rest of the week.
Would you support "buying a roster" in order for your team to contend in October?
1. Yes, the price is worth it.
2. No, there are better ways.
VOTE
