Can't argue for "value signings" if you're going to sign Markakis for the same number of years as the Astros gave Brantley - if winning factors into your "plan", you just can't.
As Schultz pointed out in the article, revenues increased by $15 million in the third quarter alone last year - paying less than two quarters of that type of increase for the upgrade Brantley represents effectively wouldn't even have dented the bottom line in the long run. The sales of Brantley jerseys and playoff tickets would have covered a HUGE part of the difference between those two players, and arguing Markakis will come close to matching Brantley's production is fool's folly - even for AA and McGuirk.
You can't argue for 'value signings' because they passed on paying Brantley $32 million and instead paid Markakis $4 million?