It is a lot more complicated than that. Spending money alone doesn't "earn" ANY team a darn thing. The Yankees have not won the World Series in 6 years. When they did win 4 out of 5 titles in the late 90's, they did it primarily with homegrown talent combined with above-average free agents but no superstar signings. Add up how many rings they've gained since making big splashes like Giambi, ARod, Randy Johnson, etc; the number is ZERO. The team that wins the World Series every season has EARNED IT regardless of the payroll. Money spent foolishly is not rewarded; money spent wisely is rewarded and I maintain those rules hold true regardless if the payroll is $200 million or $50 million. If you spend wisely with what you have, there is no reason to feel tainted if you win a title.