They may be going still going in the right direction but when is that? They are nowhere MUCH stronger right now then this time last season.
They don't have a LF. They don't have a 2B. 3B is much better but we only saw Lawrie for half a season.
15 game winner Cecil is nowhere. Snider can't prove he can hit yet, he may never be able to hit. The CF we traded for might be a lazy pantload. Morrow and Drabek took a step back, Drabek might not be MLB caliber at all. Is the bullpen really improved? I nearly spilled coffee, best bullpen in the majors? Cordero and Oliver!? Are Cordero, Oliver and Santos really that much better than Francisco, Dotel and Rzepcinsky? Dotel and Rzepcinsky were awesome in the playoffs.
Who's the DH? Are we just going to keep treating it like a fill-in position and rotate useless players like Encarnacion there? Vizquel at SS and Escobar to DH from time to time, how bout that?
Go position by position and tell me how this team is better? The team has one quality starter, one bat in RF and a bunch of question marks.
The direction might still be ok but they're a last place team in 2012. Yes I will get flamed but they're finishing last this year in AL East.
I'm not saying break the bank but a couple of free agents to supplement the youth would have been nice. Getting free agents doesn't mean win now, someone like Fielder or Darvish (for example) are still in their 20s and the target could still be 2013 or 2014. Or even more middle-ranged free agents, especially pitchers like Bedard, Harang etc... A pitching staff with Romero and 4 kids can't be good for a long 162 game season.
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only signing a top free agent when it will absolutely put you over the top, we will get there.
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Good in theory but there may not be a good FA at that time. There won't be as good an FA as Fielder in the next 5 years. Fielder would have destroyed the SkyDome while hitting behind Bautista.