"Thursday afternoon, I tweeted this: "(Walt) Jocketty doesn't expect the Reds to do much as far as free agency."

It had a link to a blog item in which general manager Jocketty was quoted as saying the Reds were not going to be pursuing top-of-the line free agents.

Within 10 minutes or so, I had 10 or 12 tweets from fans conceding the first two spots in the National League Central to the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.

What Jocketty said was something he merely reiterated. It's not news that the Reds aren't going to be big players in free agency. They haven't been since they signed Francisco Cordero four years ago.

That doesn't sit well with some fans out there. The notion is that if you don't spend money on free agents, you don't win.

It could not be more wrong.

The three biggest free agent contracts last year went to Carl Crawford (seven years, $142 million form Boston), Jayson Werth (seven years, $128 million from Washington) and Cliff Lee (five years, $120 million from Philadelphia).

Only Lee's club made the playoffs, and his club lost in the first round.

Paying for free agents is no guarantee of making the postseason. Tampa Bay didn't sign anyone. The Brewers' big free agent? Craig Counsell, who got $1.4 million for one year.

The World Series champion Cardinals brought in one big-name free agent from the outside, signing Lance Berkman for one year and $8 million."