Worth noting that I was promoted to that team due to being an overachiever on a lower expectation team. So here's the issue... I could have stayed with the old team and ensured my job security, but instead I chose to go with a tougher challenge and surround myself with smarter people to learn from, but I ended up stack ranked out by the very manager who promoted me in the first place.

Ah well. Despite what happened, it was the correct career move and I'd do it again.

>you weren't even in the top half of your team

That's a pretty poisonous attitude, since half the company isn't going to be in the top half of their team. And honestly, in my experience, most people have no idea whether they are at the 50% point or the 15% point.