Even if you keep the Lerner ownership, the org needs to modernize. Even with a tight budget, they need to acquire pitching that can move the team out of the bottom 3 in K%-BB%, need to get some hitters to stop pounding the ball into the ground, shape their pitches, etc... If they want to keep a tight budget, then maybe even some of the money going to players should go to operations. On top of all this, they need discipline and help with the mental lapses.
This is precisely the issue, the Lerners aren't setup to move from dysfunctional penny pinching into thoughtful frugality like the Rays or other low budget teams. They don't invest in technology and baseball ops, they play the contract, don't hold people accountable until things get way out of hand, evaluate baseball executives based on non-baseball factors (like covering for them with PR), and allow people to stick around who reinforce the bureaucracy, but are inept.
This in turn leads to carelessness, bizarre lineup decisions, unmotivated players, and repeating failed strategies.
I don't see this changing as long as any of the Lerner kids are in charge. They don't have it in them, and don't have the business experience, because they're just living in fear of how the family wealth will get divided as more heirs come into the picture. At best there will be improvement around the edges, especially with ditching the pitcher's paradise approach to hitting the team has had since 2022, but overall this will be a mess until they're gone.
