I think this is an over-simplification. The World Series isn’t won in the offseason, and why I think this offseason is a failure has more to do with goals. I do not want the FO to mortgage the future, but do want the FO to acquire a significant difference maker on the fielding side and the pitching side. Free agency when it is targeted and well timed, holds on to cheap future assets. Success rates of prospects are low, it takes a lot of them to develop just a few. They can still make moves that make a significant impact on 2020 (and beyond) but not without giving up assets for future success. There’s nothing wrong with what they’ve done, it just isn’t (and can’t be) successful, unless they somehow swindle another team in a trade. That doesn’t happen... As to “how much is too much?” Cole wasn’t gonna happen and that banana-pants money would have crippled the Twins. I’m glad they didn’t do it. But what Wheeler or Ryu got or even more would have been no real hardship.