I have been beating the drum, since before I knew of your existence (the boston.com days) that the best approach to roster building is cyclical. (Not to imply I was ahead of the curve or that you are parroting me, or that I deserve a point - I dont sports forum scorekeep) but I want to do more than just like this post, I want to vocalize or type-out (you cant hear my vocals) my extreme agreement with the bold.
There is a time to prioritize the future nad there is a time to prioritize the present. This is like my only rigid (uncompromising belief)
I could even be convinced that our window isnt 100% open (Im not there currently). But the point is that its possible to convince me that we are not quite yet in the "win now" phase, but you just cannot (well, not you but you know what I mean)....One cannot convince me that it is appropriate / strategic to always be looking 5 years down the road.
My concern with the posters who in my opinion go a bit too far on prospect excitement, loving the youth, always thinking about prospects, penciling in our 2030 lineup and being like OMG!!....My concern is that in my experience, and this goes back to the boston.com days - my concern is that Ive just heard it all before. There are some people who in 2010 presented an all homegrown lineup for 2014 and were like omg this team is gonna be soooo good, then in 2014 has a 2018 lineup filled with all new homegrowns (omg , this team is gonna be sooooo good), then in 2018 showing 2022. And its not as clean/consistent as Im implying, but its certainly true that some people are so excited for the "next group", and the problem is that when that "next group" arrives, those people are on to the next "next group".
Someone said something about how posters have "shiny new object" syndrome when we express wanting that next free-agent. But I honestly see "shiny new object" syndrome more with the "work in the kids" crowd than I see it from the "sign free-agents" crowd.