I agree with you on unrealistic expectations. Fans act like if you tank hard enough and never make a bad trade, you're guaranteed a formula to have a dynasty. True dynasties happen once every few decades (90s Yankees, 70s Athletics, Big Red Machine, etc.), and are based mostly on extreme luck, money, and competence--probably in that order.
Making moves to guarantee a good team every single year without sacrificing the future is an incredible balancing act. If the Cubs were any more conservative, they probably wouldn't have won a single World Series during their run. On the other hand, building a 90 win team every year is also a smart way to go, but then you run the risk of becoming the 2000s Athletics.
Hopefully Shapiro and Atkins are putting careful thought into balancing short and long term goals simultaneously. This offseason will give us a lot of clues into their thought process.