A couple of years ago, as the Giants traded some of their better prospects for Andrew McCutchen and Evan Longoria, executives around the National League West smiled. They weren't particularly worried about a team that had lost 98 games the year before, and they knew the Giants should have been taking a step back and loading up on prospects instead of going all-in on veterans.
It's tempting to take that view whenever a division rival goes big, selling off parts of the future in a desperate bid to accelerate present plans. Perhaps you see the San Diego Padres going all-in over the last 48 hours and feel it makes for an easier future path for the Giants.