The biggest issue is how are we replacing the guys we are likely going to lose? We don't have cap space, if anything we have to cut salary, so going out and getting a solid free agent may not work as well as we would like. Luckily the market is flooded projected wise with Right handed relievers, so the price may not be as high as last season, so I am not afraid that we won't be able to get someone. Also the guys who have value are almost untradeable (aka McKenzie, Jones etc) so we cannot just trade the farm to replace the guys we are losing since that hurts the long term as well.
I guess what I am getting to is the fact, we aren't going to be a better team right now projection wise in 19 than we are now, we are likely going to be worse. We can still win the division, but I really doubt we will have the firepower to beat the big guys. I am not saying we give up on 2019, but is there a way to stay about the same win-loss but be able to build for the future as well.
The roster that is left over after the free agents leave are under team control in 2019 and 2020, but currently we don't have much to replace the guys who have left. As I stated in a previous post, our upper minors isn't all that strong and we don't have a ton of options. Trading Kipnis, EE, Alonso, Carrasco, could net us legit MLB starters this season and beyond. So from oakland getting 1B/OF Olson/3B Chapman, and some other solid prospects, getting a decent starter back for one of the guys, while another one gets us a solid OF prospect. If we cannot get a player like an Olson back then we don't trade Carrasco, but if we can, I think we need to take the deal.
We then go and resign Brantley for LF/DH, get Lofton as a spring training coach for Allen. Let Diaz have the legit chance to be our 1st/3rd baseman, etc. Sign a veteran OF like McCutchen, then bring in guys like Buchholz, Happ, etc to compete with Plutko for the 5th spot in the rotation. We have had a lot of luck over the years with bringing in injuried players/signing them to mostly incentive contracts.
I doubt anyone agrees with me of course, but this is just what I feel we should do.