The early off season moves certainly seemed a reaction to an edict to reduce costs. My assumption is the smoke about moving some vets were driven by that thinking as well. Perhaps the meager offers received driven by a pandemic market and later combined with news that a viable vaccine had arrived allowing for a return to some normal sooner than later, led to a change in direction.
Regardless, here's hoping the FO can make the best of the current market instead of getting pantsed.