So the Brewers faithful find themselves in an interesting position as we approach the New Year.

We entered the offseason in pretty enviable shape: a playoff-caliber team, strong minor league system, few long-term contracts and (in theory) enough cash to make a splash in free agency. Yet the Winter Meetings, like most of December, have come and gone without (arguably) much to show for it.

Half of me thinks Stearns is "letting the market come to him," waiting for opportunities to develop where he can get a frontline starter without having to overpay. Yet the other half of me thinks he's still in bargain-shopping mode, and he's going to miss any opportunity to land a top-tier free agent and instead settle for more affordable talent that won't improve the team much. (And maybe that's fine, if you think the team is ready to contend as it's built right now.)

So let's find out. Take the poll and let me know what you think.