The team knows what it's doing. As you say, for two years they had a player who was unhappy with his contract and they made just the right amount of empty promises to keep him playing well. Of course, it's the player's fault for listening and believing the "door was always open," and that his play would have an effect on a contract coming up to an option year (what is a contract option but a chance for renegotiation). No future player or agent will make the same mistake and give the team the benefit of the doubt.
Who knows if that will affect who will sign here.