We are all perfectly capable of believing that Braves might underperform. At the end of the day, you can't control who gets hurt or who has a bad year. You can do your best to contain the risk, but your damn Marwin Gonzalez scenarios are no more likely to pan out just because they fit your own pleasure spot than other things. I mean really.
The "decidedly below average off season" has absolutely nothing to do with Marwin Gonzalez, Madison Bumgarner, or any of plenty of other ideas you'd like to hang on me - AA flopped, and The Blackjack Dealer is exactly right in saying anyone trying to make excuses and frame this winter differently is simply an apologist and blind AA follower.