The Dolans Are Who We Thought They Were – by Mario Crescibene We’ve all seen the headlines reporting Kyle Tucker is headed to the Dodgers and Bo Bichette is heading to the Mets. Meanwhile, the Cleveland headlines have been relatively silent this offseason. As Cleveland fans, we can’t help but wonder if we’re wasting José […]
The Dolans Are Who We Thought They Were
– byMario Crescibene
We’ve all seen the headlines reporting Kyle Tucker is headed to the Dodgers and Bo Bichette is heading to the Mets. Meanwhile, the Cleveland headlines have been relatively silent this offseason. As Cleveland fans, we can’t help but wonder if we’re wasting José Ramírez’s best years. But at this point, hoping the Dolans will invest in the team is just wishful thinking. Because the Dolans are who we thought they were.
The Dolans’ frugality isn’t anything new. It’s a pattern. Look at the Guardians’ spending over the last five years — they’ve consistently ranked at the bottom of the league in payroll, normally ranking no higher than 25th in the league. Year after year, it’s always been the same story.
Fans have a right to be frustrated. Despite the bottom-tier payroll, we’ve fielded competitive teams — winning the division and making the playoffs three times in that 5-year span — but we haven’t won that championship yet. When you watch other contenders add impact talent while Cleveland sits idle, it’s hard not to feel like the Dolans have financially abandoned Cleveland. And while we can be frustrated at the refusal to invest, we can also take a step back and understand the business plan the Dolans are using to maximize their franchise’s value.
The reality is that the Dolans are businessmen: they’re not trying to win championships — they’re trying to build value. And so they’ve built a system designed to be self-sustaining without requiring major investments: develop prospects, trade them at peak value for more prospects, and stockpile the minors until there’s a backlog of talent waiting at every level. You can see the system is close to its final iteration… but we haven’t seen the completed vision yet — where from Single-A to the majors we’ve got a pipeline of prospects that keeps producing. And with the Dolans selling the team soon, they are hoping that their strategy for maximizing franchise value pays off.
That’s what makes this offseason’s approach make sense. When you’re selling a team, past championships don’t really add value for the new owner – those championships have already happened. What a buyer wants to see is a system ready to win multiple championships in the future: A stocked farm system, talent at every level, and a proven development pipeline that doesn’t require massive payroll investment. That’s what the Dolans have been trying to build. That’s what they’re hoping to sell to David Blitzer — cashing in at peak value — just like with their players. For the Dolans, it’s never been about winning championships; it’s always been about showing the next owner they’re buying a franchise built like a machine, not just a brand name and a major league roster.
But as fans, it’s fair to ask the question: does the system even work? Sure, they’ve proven they can develop pitchers as quality arms announce themselves year after year. But when it comes to hitters? They’ve struck out far too often. Jhonkensy Noel didn’t develop. Nolan Jones is trending toward bust territory as is Arias. Now we’re banking on George Valera, Chase DeLauter, Jaison Chourio — the prospects names are piling up but no one has proven that they are the next Cleveland great. The pipeline keeps growing, but the prospects keep failing to deliver. While fans hope for spending, the Dolans hope for development. So far, neither hope has paid off.
And while we can understand the business logic, the frustration remains. Yet another billionaire chooses profit over legacy, electing to maximize his own financial returns while the fans and players pay the price. Watching José Ramírez — a Hall of Famer who gave the Dolans a massive hometown discount — give everything he has every single night, only to see ownership refuse to surround him with championship-caliber talent, feels like an insult.
So, as fans, are left hoping that this group of prospects breaks through. We have to hope that the system proves the Dolans right. That their ultimate vision has finally been realized: that Valera holds down right field, that DeLauter can man center, that the new wave proves they belong. Because hoping the Dolans will change and start spending? We know better than that.
Because the Dolans are who we thought they were.
Category: General Sports
