I already posted this but I think it deserves its own thread.

Almost every post-mortem post features comments about how we need to sign Furcal, Dunn, Sabathia, etc. via expensive free agency.  Let's look at this year's team makeup to see if this really makes sense.

In my estimation, there are four ways to abtain players:

1) Develop them
2) Trade for them
3) Free agency
4) Pick them off a scrap heap (Waivers, etc.)

Now, don’t hop on me if I’m inaccurate with a few of these as I’m not chasing down any references. But here’s the way players on this year’s team were acauited:

Developed

A Guzman
C Marmol
C McGehee
C Pignatiello
C Zambrano
E Patterson
F Pie
G Soto
J Samardzija
K Hart
K Hill
K Wood
M Hoffpauir
M Murton
M Wuertz
R Cedeno
R Hill
R Theriot
R Wells
S Gallagher
S Marshall

Trade

A Ramirez
C Gaudin
D Lee
J Ascanio
M Fontenot
N Cotts
R Harden

Free Agency

A Soriano
B Howry
D Ward
H Blanco
J Lieber
J Marquis
K Fukudome
M DeRosa
S Eyre
T Lilly

Scrap Heap

C Fox
J Edmonds
R Dempster
R Johnson

Call me crazy, but to me it looks like free agency has been the least efficient and most costly method of acquisition. Why push for more of it?