There's reason to fear everybody. At least in the short-term. Particularly teams that have owners with deep pockets and a desire to win. It looked like the Braves had finally turned the corner spending-wise before the virus hit, and EVERYBODY felt better when the expectation was that payroll was going to consistently be in the top 10 range and ~ $150 million. Had it stayed there, an Ozuna return would have been an afterthought, a play for Paxton/Quintana/Minor/Morton would be a given, and a signing of at least one of Melancon or Greene might have already taken place. When you come as close as the 2020 Braves did, more concentrated ownership gets that taste for it. With the situation involving Liberty, not so much. As others have *itched about before, having corporate ownership tends to tamp down optimism because the bottom line is ALWAYS going to be front-and-center as the main concern. More speculation - as always - but if someone like Arthur Blank was the person McGuirk and AA had to meet with when setting payroll and Ozuna's not just blowing smoke when he says he'd love to come back (obviously questionable), there's a legitimate chance that all the heavy-lifting would have been done by Thanksgiving with Ozuna signed and Melancon back. AA would just be waiting out the SP market to find out who was most interested in playing for a team with a shot to win.
Every franchise has to be careful with finances long-term, but having an owner (or competitive ownership group like the Dodgers) will always lend more optimism because they can be convinced that "if we bring the right guys in" you'll get your return through attendance/parking/concession revenue, playoff revenue, and merchandising money. On top of that - as the owner - you'll be the talk of the town and envy of your peers for a while.
Winning the offseason guarantees nothing at all. It certainly makes someone more dangerous on paper though.
