you can be as pessimistic as you want, but you're basing that off how an old regime operated the club and assumptions on what you think the Ownership group will allow. That seems incredibly shortsighted.
As noted, we'll have next a pile of payroll flexibility as of 2020 and with a young core of Vlad, Bo, Jansen, Biggio, Alford, SRF, Borucki, Zeuch, Paulino + guys like Groshans, Pearson, Pardinho, Smith, Martinez, Hiraldo, Koffenstein, Conine, Spanberger, Kirk, Danner, Perez, etc. on the way - 2020 might be the best time to add a couple of FA's to the young mix.