MLB Team Valuations (Updated)

Ok, to respond to your first point. Yes we need to. The Braves supplemented their top notch homegrown guys with trades and signings like Morton to fully staff out their staff. Bradish is a big maybe at this point. And beyond Grayson and Bradish we have a back end guy in Kremer and that is it for next year. So IMO we will have to sign or trade for some one of consequence/impact. The Dodgers have ABSOLUTELY spent at the top of the FA market - Freeman, Ohtani, Yamamoto. I don't think that we need to run a model like the Cards in terms of roster construction or trading for big time position players like Arenado or Goldschmidt. However, they are a very good example of a smaller market being sustained by an engaged fanbase who consistently runs a healthy size/larger payroll.

I said Gunnar, but I also think a Burnes extension is basically a dead end road. 

Need to lock them in until they are at least 40 years old

All of the above. Plus Westburg and Cowser.

There are certainly some things he can do that would help him become a firm #3 instead of a #4-5.

By that logic, we've developed Rodriguez and Bradish, and we have an exciting you group of positional talent.  So do we need to? Your last paragraph is perfectly reasonable, and not very different from my position.  This team is going to spend more money just by arbitration alone, so yeah, the payroll is going to have to increase.  I totally want them to extend select young players.  And I totally want them to sign FAs that help the team. I do not expect them to spend money at the top of the FA market like the Rangers have done, but the Astros  have not.  I think ultimately a team that makes a lot of sense to emulate is the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Cardinals rarely sign big free agents, but they do occasionally target a pending FA, trade for him using prospects, and then extend him.  Matt Holliday and Nolan Arenado being examples of that.  Those are the biggest splashes I expect the O's to make.  And I'm fine with it.  Making big, expensive moves is radically overrated by most fans in its relation to actually winning baseball games.