Not sure why speculation bothers some people. It's something to talk about- just like bitching about why the team never gets any better is.
When the team was doing well, there was a lot of talk about who we can trade for and which prospects might be used to get them. It's a point of interest, for some- not all.
I know many of us disagree on when it is a good time to sell, especially with the expanded WC set-up, but to me, we have never won a ring or come close, in a season where I wanted to sell in July. That's not proof of anything, but to me, we looked like legit contenders in 20024, 2007, 2013 (maybe not in February but certainly in July) and 2018. There have been several seasons, where we looked like we had a good shot and ended up falling short, with 2021 being the most recent season, but to me 2020, 2022 and 2023 looked like sell summers, and we only really sold a lot in '20. 2019 looked like it might be a sell season, and word was we were going to trade Sale, then, but a mid-late July surge changed the decision.
Speculation is a part of being a fan for many. It is what it is.