Crane, the FO, the balance of glue guys vs results, and valuing names.

So lots of criticism rightfully so towards Crane and his old HOF'er brain trust.

2018 was the last year of "our guys" being totally team controlled and 2019 was the first season hard decisions were made that effect us then and now.

2019: We left Dallas and Charlie walk, Dallas over the next three seasons is a 2.5 WAR per 162, Charlie is 4. We try to chase this loss by bringing in Grinkie who in 2.5 seasons gives us 3.5 WAR and we lost prospects and are still paying him. And starting pitching was a factor in us not winning that year. We bring in Brantley a name and he has his only really good season with us.

2020: Weird year, but losing Cole and Verlander hurt in the playoffs, but both of those are out of our control IMO as Cole was never staying here. But we are coming off of 4 straight seasons of huge trades and this is our first calm year.

2021: We let Springer walk, and his 162 WAR average in the previous 4 seasons was 5.3, in his 4 seasons since leaving, its 3.1 and while not elite, and injury plagued, I wonder if now the 4th big guy we let walk, the 2nd home grown, and 1st big leader is starting to hurt. We lose the WS because they out pitched and out hit us.

2022: Now Correa is gone, but we won the WS on the strength of Click and Luhnow. Pena comes up big as does the bullpen. The replacement guys are largely solid starters, but the top end talent is strong enough to carry the roster, but Yuli and Maldy are issues, and we move on from Click.

2023: Yuli walks, Verlander walks, and Brantley-Abreu(NAME)-Monterro are resigned and brought in for 43 million that year for -.3 WAR, and the resigning was biding against ourselves, and steeeeep, and despite people thinking Abreu was unanimously praised, many looked at his downward trend and age as an overpay and paying for the past. We also trade for Verlander and pay a pretty steep price to not pay his salary, a salary equal to the 3 players mentioned earlier. We also trade for Graveman who we let walk. Now we are offsetting our mistakes by trading prospects to reacquire players we let go, to help fix bad contracts. Maldy is unplayable, Brantley is hurt, but both are massively important glue guys. We lose because Pitching has issues, and we have massive black holes at a few spots.

2024: Here we are. Added another big name, who admittedly should be great, but 20 million? Years of both trading for names, and signing names, while letting our guys walk. 2019 was a historic year for both the offence and pitching, lose Cole, Urquity can slot in, no Springer, Chas can do it, Correa left, Pena step up. Fast forward 5 seasons and the leadership is gone, and in the simplest form 4 plus WAR is a very good player and 5 is AS, in 2023 we had 1 guy at 5, and two other above 4, 7 total above 3. 2019 Correa 10th on the team at 3.7 playing less than half the games, that. We are no longer a team loaded with all stars, but a team with a bunch of role players.

I said before the year that we either win 100 or 65, and it looks like 65. I don't fault Crane for not breaking the bank on every FA we have, but it takes a toll, both in talent on the field, money spent chasing it, prospects either coming up and not being able to be traded, or trading prospects to fill the void. To me, it seems like Crane is stubborn and thinks a hardline approach on FA's in house is the best option, and with a loaded farm and money to spent, it might be. But thats why Luhnow and Click worked, they stocked the cupboard, now we are dry and hurting for talent and leadership. And like it or not, players know that they'll be gone in X years, and the passion/leadership void seems to carry over from that.

TLDR: This has been coming for a while now, you cant lose leaders and talent at our level for 6 years and keep plugging in replacement young players before you turn around and see a team of replacement players that lack vet leadership.