The Cleveland Guardians made a strong run in 2024, though they narrowly missed their ultimate goal, losing to the New York Yankees in the ALCS, 3-1.
As they look ahead, many fans are calling for the Guardians to boost spending in a bid for a championship. However, analyst Bruce Drennan recently addressed this on *The Bruce Drennan Show*, suggesting that a bigger budget isn’t essential for success. Pointing to the Yankees as an example, Drennan noted, “The last time that the big-money Yankees were in the World Series was 2009. That’s a long time ago.”
While Drennan’s argument holds some weight, it’s difficult to overlook the recent trend favoring high-spending teams. The Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers—each with a top-tier payroll—were the final three teams this season. Big-market clubs are spending aggressively, widening the gap between them and lower-budget teams.
Bruce Drennan wants you to understand that the Guardians don't need to spend THAT much to compete for a ring.
"The last time that the big money payroll New York Yankees were in the World Series was 2009. That's a long time ago."
Stream show in free app: https://t.co/Ag5PaVP3qG pic.twitter.com/7YQumAxnDJ
— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) October 26, 2024
For example, the Yankees and Dodgers wouldn’t be where they are without major investments in stars like Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Giancarlo Stanton, and Juan Soto, along with keeping MVP-level talents like Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts.
Drennan’s comments might unintentionally give Guardians ownership a pass on spending, even though owner Larry Dolan ranks as the fourth wealthiest MLB owner and has the resources to invest at a level closer to these big-market franchises.
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