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I wonder what the disconnect (if there is one at all) is between Capt. Jack's thinking and SSI's regarding Wash and the BOR...
Doc mentioned that Bill James, IIRC, cited a kind of roster stagnation as a possible starting point to begin to explain the "consolidation season" phenomenon - a club owes a player leeway due to their success the season prior.
Jack Z could have picked up both Wash and Branyan on the cheap, due to their relative loyalty to and enthusiasm for this team, but decided against it. Why? If you sign them cheap enough you can always dump them if they are not performing, right?
My interpretation would be that this is to combat roster stagnation and complacency. My guess would be that, in Z's mind, spirited battles for the last roster spots are preferable to signing an honored vet to whom the club owes some performance leeway. The MLB vets Z brought in this offseason are not those to whom Z or Wak owes anything.
I thought you would be more excited about the extreme Stars and Scrubs approach Z is taking, Doc :)