Having the highest payroll doesn't mean automatic championship... We have had the top 5 in payroll for how many years so it's not like the team is not spending money...the problem is the contracts are terrible like hicks and Donaldson which messes up free agency in the long run...maybe dj contract might be terrible too if he doesn't improve or is still hurt all the time
The highest payroll doesn't always win, but there is a pretty clear correlation of spending & winning.
As for spending, they've passed on World Series by not spending. Machado, Harper were there. Willing to come to NY, and ownership even said they didn't talk to them.
As for contracts messing with payroll. Hicks makes $10mil, it's 4% of the payroll of the team. That shouldn't be used for why they don't pursue free agents. If they wanted to move him, they could. They have to eat some of the money, and expect little to no return.
And Donaldson is them being cheap last year, to save themselves long term money. Rather than having Donaldson and IKF in a trade that made no sense. They could have had one of Correa, Seager, Story, Semien, Swanson, Bogaerts or Turner.
There's nothing that says you can't trade top prospects for top prospects in different positions. Nothing to say you can't move prospects to different positions
