Yes, it's apples to oranges, and I admit the 2019 26 man roster looked better than the 2021 26 man roster at the start of the season, but the rest of the 40 man and the farm and finances looked worse.
BTW, no Kimbrel (42 saves), Kelly and Nunez was significant.
No doubt, DD was not to blame, as his spending was cut off after 2018, too.