Q: What is the biggest takeaway from the 2013 postseason?

A: You have to pay to win, but you also have to pay the right people the right amounts. Yes, it helps to have $159 million to spread around, as the Red Sox did on Opening Day, but it was the way they spread that money around that could be changing baseball’s acquisition game. Boston General Manager Ben Cherington targeted “mid-range” player purchases, signing Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, Stephen Drew and Koji Uehara to shorter deals with healthy annual salaries.

Q: Speaking of money, how much does payroll disparity matter?

A: Not as much these days, even if the four teams that advanced to the league championship series proved payrolls still matter. Revenue sharing, the luxury tax and the increased number of teams in the postseason have leveled the playing field. Just this October, we saw the Pirates, A’s and Rays all make the playoffs.

Q: Which teams were the biggest surprises of the season?

A: Red Sox and Pirates. In the American League, Boston went from a 69-win, last-place finish a year ago to 93 wins and a World Series title. The Red Sox joined the 1991 Twins as the only teams to win a World Series a year after finishing last. In the National League, you figured Pittsburgh was due, but they went above and beyond. Not only did the Pirates celebrate their first winning season in 21 years, they also came within a victory of reaching the NLCS.

Q: Which teams were the biggest disappointments?

A: Angels and Nationals. Both teams were advertised as World Series favorites. Then the shine faded, and both teams missed the playoffs by an ugly margin. The Angels were particularly laughable, finishing 18 games back in the AL West despite the offseason additions of Josh Hamilton and C.J. Wilson.

Q: What was the story of the year?

A: Biogenesis, unfortunately. The performance-enhancing drug scandal engulfed the entire sport for weeks, with 13 players receiving suspensions of 50 games or more. The unsavory saga is far from over, too; we still await a ruling on Alex Rodriguez’s appeal of his unprecedented 211-game ban, while fellow disgraced star Ryan Braun surely will return to millions of boos next season.

Q: Besides Biogenesis, what was the story of the year?

A: Yasiel Puig. Rarely has a newcomer so electrified the sport, invoking every emotion from the disgust of fellow players to downright awe from, well, everyone. Thing is, we still know barely anything about the 22-year-old Cuban.

Q: Does baseball really need expanded instant replay?

A: Yes, even at the risk of lengthening already-lengthy games. Human error, an inevitable part of the game, has lost virtually all of its charm in this age of immediate GIF-ability. Postseason gaffes by umpiring crews only furthered that point.

Q: What will be the story of the offseason?

A: Robinson Cano’s next payday. The free-agent-to-be asked for $300 million. The Yankees stopped at a little more than half of that exorbitant sum. Cano needs another team to bid against the Yanks. Who will?


