With that reasoning maybe we don't win if beltran wasn't signed and instead we traded for Goldschmidt to be DH... It's easy to focus on what Gattis did but ignore the times it didn't work with him. I'm really not sure what the love for Gattis is about... he was a role player but easily replaceable as a DH...
In 2017, he got more than 50% of his at-bats as catcher, which made his offensive stats harder to replace. It gave the team a ton of flexibility in being able to PH for McCann or Gattis without losing anything offensively. He also had a fantastic postseason run that year (0.400+OBP, 0.800+OPS).
Thats the same thing you're doing with Folty. Ignoring Folty's mediocrity, but crediting the 1 good season. A Gattis deal is for coinciding with a postseason / WS push. And thats how it happened. I dont think valuation on premium position and "one that got away" is too important there. Cuz it simply just worked. (Unless its being greedy for another World Series)
They could sign a player like gattis for less than 5 million... what does a top of the rotation pitcher cost? What did Framber do last year? He could be a one year wonder but responsible for getting us so close last year... Really this whole thing is dumb and boring. I don't like that trade. You do. Agree to disagree and move on...
What if.... Carlos Hernandez didn't dive back into the base with his throwing arm and destroy his shoulder? Wade Miller learned how to not shortarm the ball and destroy his shoulder? Tim Redding and Wilfredo Rodriguez had a brain? Chris Holt had a heart?
What if...AJ Hinch used his brain in game 7? Idk what would have happened, but I sure would have liked to find out. What if...Baker told his pitchers to stop throwing to Randy F-ing Arozarena? Sigh.
In my alternate history, Covid never happened, Fiers never opened his f#cking mouth, JV never got hurt and Cole and Springer never left.
