Plus it’s not clear that Beiber will be ready for Opening Day.
Bichette obviously a solid hitter.
Bassitt a solid starter.
Scherzer a nice to have but hopefully the WS run gave the entire roster some of the experience he provided.
On paper they are probably better. Bullpen still could be an issue.
Team unity which seemed like a real thing last year, and probably helped with all the come from behind wins, even just one less would’ve had them had to play a Wild Card series and may not have had the gas to get to the WS, nevermind Game 7, but that chemistry can’t be manufactured though, no matter how much the media will make it a feel good narrative.
Would Tucker and or Bichette change any of the above? Probably not. Being better on paper doesn’t mean they’ll get anywhere near the same agonizingly close place they got to in November. Santander needs to step up, and everyone else has to be pretty close to how they were last year. Expectations already were playoffs at very least given the payroll, and now with $300MM spent, it’s more than just a “just get in”.
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