Good or bad trade... it sure looks like a good trade, because Santana fell to injury, but who knows whether Santana would have helped them to back to back titles. There is no definitive right answer, but if it makes you feel better about things to take the definitive stance that it was the right non-move so be it. I will not argue it with you.
They make some good moves and some bad. They have the resources that they can overcome some poor decisions and still field very competitive teams. I hope that Lester and Ells bring us several championships starting with this season, and the non-move definitively becomes the right move.
As far as parting with parts of their foundation, Masterson is having a pretty good season in Cleveland.