You're pretty much damned no matter what if you don't win the World Series.
That's the thing. I mean think about it. The "experts" have all been lauding teams for making key moves. But look at the NL for example. We'd all agree LA, Wash and the Cubs are the front runners right? All three made significant acquisitions, but at the very least, two of those three are going to fail despite those acquisitions. Maybe three, if someone like Milwaukee or Arizona sneaks in as a wild card and gets hot.
Injuries happen. Bats go cold. The playoffs are quite literally a crapshoot regardless of depth or whether or not someone adds one middle reliever. People were yammering and blathering all day yesterday about Darvish. The man's last win was in June and his ERA has gone from 3.18 to 4.01 in his last ten starts. This is someone people think teams should sell the farm for? Gray? Decent his last few starts, before that he was crap for a good chunk of the season. Lynn's had a good year, but he didn't go anywhere so odds are StL was asking too much for a rental.
From my foxhole, Houston's success will depend on McCullers and Keuchel's health returning to form. Nobody in my opinion was worth trading Fisher, which is from what I read someone a lot of teams were asking for. Fiers, Peacock, and Morton have all pitched very well for Houston, but since they aren't "big" names they don't seem to exist in the eyes of the media. McHugh just came back as well, and pitched much better in his second start. If he gets back in his groove, that will be just like adding someone new. At no cost.
Texas is a good example also. Big division lead this time last year but all the experts blathered on about how they needed a couple more bats. They went out and got Lucroy and Beltran and everyone said ooooh now they're the front runner. How'd that work out? Swept in the division series. And now Beltran and Lucroy are both gone and Darvish went to LA for a very mediocre return. So much for the big pickups.