to use an analogy - which will only ever stretch so far, so it wont be perfect - how i see 'keeping scott', and how i belive the club might see it is:
scott is $100,000. not an amazing amount of money, but you can do a lot with it. you cant retire on it (so it isnt perfect), but you have it. not a whole lot has to go right for it to be exactly what is needed though, if you find the perfect deal on a property say. a bit like finishing top 4 more often than not - a few things fall your way, you can win it all even if you arent the best in it - outside the 8, and theres no chance no matter what.
OR - you could trade it for the mystery box!
get lucky, and the box might have $10 million in it. never work again, buy anything youve ever wanted! that $100,000 you risked to get it would look awful - why did i ever consider not risking it for this!
or you could get a $15 spendless shoes voucher. boy, if the box contained that, the $100,000 would look so good in hindsight.
sure, scott isnt everything youve ever wanted as he stands, but a bird in the hand, the grass is always greener, and all that stuff.
give him up, and we could do a whole lot better. or we might no be a threat again for a long time.
easy to say what the 'right thing for the club to do' is when there is no possibility of your plan going wrong and being made to look a fool.