[IslandRed]

Now that I think of it, here's the biggest impact of the extensions of Harang and Arroyo:

Before that, a lot of us were looking at 2008 as a clear dividing line, what with nearly all of the current veterans' contracts being up after that season. There was the sense that if we didn't get in the hunt soon then a teardown and rebuild could commence. And I'm not saying that's an impossibility. But by extending our top two pitchers, the front office is making a clear declaration that they intend to keep the window of opportunity open, and prospects like Bailey, Votto and Bruce are to be added to the core, not just replace the core.