The hope is that by the end of 5 years they have their financial feet back under them again, and that baseball labor peace has returned. They have cut payroll, they have a TV deal in place, and now it is about rebuilding from the bottom up so that HOPEFULLY one day we are bringing guys in through the system, instead of mediocrity off of the street.
Realistically, this was still a 102 loss team with no hope of contending, and the spectre of a game changing labor agreement on the horizon. while I expect them to spend a few bucks to plug a few holes and fill some innings, they really shouldn't be spending a lot until they guys they are signing could actually be on the next playoff team. If that standard isn't happening, they shouldn't be committing long term dollars to them.