Baseball free agency started in 1972. I’m a Pirate fan. In the 50 years since free agency started, the Pirates have won two playoff series - both in 1979. And in those early days of FA, the Pirates actually competed for players - they traded for a two-time batting champ during that season who put them over the top.
Since then, as the economic reality of the sport has come into focus, somewhere along the way they really just stopped trying to be competitive. As a bottom feeder with no salary cap, they have won zero playoff series in 43 years. Players start with the Pirates and then go elsewhere to make real money and play in the postseason. And yeah, you bet that has diminished my baseball fandom.
I’m not saying WF will be a bottom feeder, but it’s hard to envision them outspending most other teams. And yeah, WF can be smart like the Rays, but there’s a ceiling to how well the Rays can do and how often they can do it.
Maybe after a rush of several years people will get tired of buying players. I don’t think so, but maybe.
*I don’t count one-game WC playoffs here - the Pirates are 1-2 in such games. Winless in any postseason series of more than one game.