Obviously none of that is happening now. But imagine a scenario where all of the below happens:
- The team wins 83 games and misses the playoffs.
- Martin plays to his projections and finishes with a 1.5 win season.
- Tulo plays to his projections and finishes with a 2.5 win season.
- Edwin plays to his projections and finishes with a 125 wRC+.
- Bautista finishes with a 140 wRC+ but continues to look terrible in the OF.
The odds of all of these coming true are small, but they're the most likely outcome in each individual case. In this situation, leaving the offseason with no commitment to Tulo and Martin, comp picks for Edwin and Bautista, and a lot of payroll flexibility is not a bad outcome at all.