When does change help, and when does it hurt?
That’s the question I found myself contemplating most when formulating my annual Major League Baseball predictions. Some big-time teams, very much aiming to win it all this season, opted for constancy this winter, seemingly banking on internal improvements as well as, in the American League, the sorry state of the competition. Whereas others engaged in your more characteristic Hot Stove activity, driving up enthusiasm (or at least conversation) by spending and swapping.
The answer to this question is … well, I believe there’s no universal answer.