Rebuilding can pay off, but also invites skepticism

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2017 file photo the Houston Astros celebrate after Game 7 of baseball's World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles. Rebuilding _ or, to use the less euphemistic term, tanking _ has become one of baseball’s most polarizing topics in 2018. When the Astros won the World Series last season, four years after a 111-loss debacle, they became a shining example of how short-term pain can lead to long-term gain, but as other teams try to follow Houston’s lead, they’re being met with varying degrees of skepticism. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, file) Spring training was just starting for the Pittsburgh Pirates under a splendid Florida sky. It was the time of year when any team can feel optimistic, but on this morning, the team was still coming to terms with an offseason shake-up. Stars Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole had been traded, and Josh Harrison — one of the team’s top remaining players — was talking through his concerns with reporters.

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