Hal Steinbrenner loves to say that a $300+ million payroll is not required to create a contender. That's true. But it's certainly required to turn this version of the Yankees into a contender, based on the funds they've already allocated and the roster holes that still remain. This is what they never seem to understand.
The Yankees don't have to wield a $500 million payroll and steamroll the rest of the league to be championship-caliber, either. They can trade from their farm rather than splash cash, if that's how they wish to operate. While it might be popular to dream of blowing the doors off and adding a $40 million AAV at every single position, the bare minimum fans want to see is a willingness to leverage their finances to paper over the types of mistakes the might sink lesser teams.