I didn't say they'd make it. To me, finishing with 3 or 4 games of the second wild card spot is worthy of being called a "playoff contender." I don't think we'd be any better than Cincinatti, St. Louis, or Pittsburgh, but I think we'd be over .500.
I just don't see the point in adding a scrub pitching prospect from NY when we could win some games next year.
Rizzo
Castro
Soriano
Lake?
Olt
Schierholtz
Castillo
Baez?
Cubs seem interested in a guy like Choo or Elsbury this offseason. If they could add Garza again and a bullpen arm or two, that's a playoff contending team IMO.
Obviously it wouldn't play out exactly like that but there's no reason it couldn't. Instead we're just going to suck for another season or two and wait for Olt, Castro, Rizzo, Baez, Soler, Almora, Alcantra, Bryant, etc in 2016-2017