Look, you have to field a team, and signing veterans to one year deals provides more control over player promotion and player development.
I'm sure Klentak would have preferred a better result, but there's luck involved, Morton gets hurt last year but not this year, Kendrick is playing great then tweaks his hammie . . .
But you don't want to rush players, there's a lot they learn in AAA ball with a lot less pressure (there is always pressure on a young player to prove they belong, and it can cause them to press, see Perkins, for example).
So there's value having veterans even if the results aren't up to expectations.
Unfortunately, because of Kendrick's injury, we have no one to trade who'll garner a good return, Neshek is our best asset but he's a limited RP.
That's just the way the cookie crumbles.
We do have AAAA guys, that essentially was Nava this spring, Kelly, etc.
It's just not a big deal in the long run, a small missed opportunity, not a big setback.
The key to the season will be player development at all levels, not the record of the ML team or whether they added an extra second or third tier prospect.