Figured I’d save my longest essay for last… I will have plenty more to say this offseason, but there is one underlying thought I keep coming back to. A lot of Guardians fans will say “we weren’t supposed to be here.” I’m sure some national media will say that too. I’ll never tell anyone how to feel, but I’m personally tired of that sentiment. Is it fun to defy the preseason odds every year and play deep into October? Of course. But the organization can’t keep treating that as the barometer for success. I want to see Cleveland have a real chance to win the World Series. In 2022 we watched the youngest team in baseball make the playoffs and give the Yankees a fight. But they had no chance to win it all. It was the same story in 2024. Fun team. Won a series. But overmatched against a true contender. Then in 2025 and 2026 we saw magical late-season turnarounds. This year added an ALDS win we’ll remember for a long time. I’m thankful for all of that. But if the prevailing sentiment at the end is we should just be happy to get this far, what was it all for? I love the journey. I watch all 162 and truly appreciate the joy this team brings me every year. Winning matters and this organization does a lot of it. But above all, I want to see my favorite team win the World Series. And that hasn’t been a real possibility since 2017. Nobody is asking Cleveland to spend like New York or LA. But the payroll difference between the Rays and Guardians is $21 million. Do you know how much of an impact $21 million can have when spent properly? Imagine how differently this series could have played out if the Guardians spent that much on starting pitching. Or a better cleanup hitter than Jo Adell. Tampa Bay signed Nick Martinez for $13 million last offseason. I was happy the front office bought at the trade deadline. Those players made an impact. But they were also available for lower-tier prospects for a reason. And if you aren’t gonna spend in free agency OR part with better prospects in trades, then your external additions will almost always be mediocre. We’ll see what happens with MLB this winter. But whatever way it goes, I hope the Guardians stop being content with overachieving.