On point 2:
2022- team of expiring contracts and starting pitchers that couldn't stay healthy (or had a history of doing so), stayed close near the deadline but the CBO chose to do nothing of significance except trade the starting catcher
2023- Kluber was the Opening Day Starter, the 2b with the most appearances had -0.2 bwar (Arroyo), the SS with the most appearances had -0.6 bwar (Kiké)
2024 - another season with no plan for 2b, early injury took out SS for the year, pitching was healthier but faded badly after the All Star break which was unsurprising giving the lack of career innings thrown by the starters
2023 was obviously the worst setup of the previous three teams. The other two are similar, but had two unique issues. The '22 team should have just sold off prior to the deadline when they were securely in a playoff position. Instead, they went over the CBT because of the dumb JBJ trade. The '24 team seemed primed to compete, but another Story and Casas extended vacation exposed a lot of their depth issues at the high minors. Without a plan at 2b, they became too weak up the middle overnight. Hamilton did have a hot stretch in the middle of the season, but it was bookended by equally brutal stretches. Were these teams ready for the playoffs coming out of Spring Training? They had an outside shot at it, BUT NEEDED EVERYTHING TO BREAK RIGHT. That means they were closer to a .500 team than we wanted to believe.