In Chicago, Mark Gonzales noted the White Sox' presence in Chicago will be "put to the test, especially after general manager Ken Williams finally admitted they are in a rebuilding process that will make 2013 and '14 more realistic chances to compete for the American League Central title." One "obvious admission of rebuilding is the slashing of 2012 season ticket prices, with savings as high as 31 percent from last year." Meanwhile, White Sox Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer said that the Sox have "received positive reviews for their sports apparel store that opened two weeks ago adjacent to the restaurant that opened across the street from U.S. Cellular Field before the 2011 season." Boyer said that he has a marketing slogan in mind for next season but "wouldn't reveal it." Boyer: "The reality is our fan base has been hit hard by the economy. We need to make an adjustment" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 12/11).
NEW-LOOK MARLINS: In Miami, Clark Spencer notes the Marlins last week "signed three top players, doggedly pursued two others, including Albert Pujols, and walked out with a haul that in sheer dollars surpassed anything the Marlins have ever done before." It was a "staggering sum given the Marlins' spendthrift history of sifting through debris to construct low-budget rosters, and it stood in 180-degree contrast to the winter meetings of 2005 when they showed up at the very same Dallas hotel to tear apart, not to build" (MIAMI HERALD, 12/11). Meanwhile, Bergen Record columnist Bob Klapisch said the Marlins are "even further out on a limb than the Angels because they don't have a huge TV deal to draw upon." Klapisch: "The Marlins are depending entirely on gate revenue. That’s how they are going to pay for these salaries. It's a big experiment. It's a big gamble considering Marlins fans usually don't come to see this team" (“Yankees Baseball Daily,” YES Network, 12/10).
LIMITING SPENDING: In Boston, Nick Cafardo noted Red Sox Owner John Henry and his partners have "never been afraid to go the extra mile on salaries," but this offseason, there has "been a bit of hesitation." The Red Sox "don't want to go over the $178 million luxury tax threshold." Cafardo noted they are "going about things as if they were the Pirates or Royals." In the past, the Red Sox have "adjusted their budgets in order to put the best possible team on the field." They have "not made the playoffs two straight seasons, and while they made a splash by hiring [manager Bobby] Valentine, it will be made for naught if they are short at key positions -- one being closer and one being starting pitcher" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/11).
