In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes Red Sox Chair Tom Werner "promised 'full throttle'" this offseason, but thus far, the Red Sox “have not lifted off the launch pad.” While the Dodgers and Yankees “behave like teams intent on spending to win championships,” the Red Sox “continue to dumpster dive and insult their fans with feeble efforts to get involved for high-priced talent.” The Red Sox "are Kings of Interest, always making you think they are competing for top talent when they are not." It "should be clear to all" that the Red Sox are "an increasingly insignificant part of the Fenway Sport Group portfolio" (BOSTON GLOBE, 12/15).
STAND UP AND FIGHT: In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote the Mets “were never in play for either Shohei Ohtani or Juan Soto” and owner Steve Cohen “has to do everything in his power, and with his rather amazing bank account, to make Yoshinobu Yamamoto a Met for the next decade.” Lupica: “It’s the kind of big swing he needs to take now, coming off as disappointing a year as the Mets have ever had.” He has to "convince Yamamoto to come pitch for the Mets." Lupica wrote in doing that, “Cohen doesn’t get beat, and beat up, by the Yankees” (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 12/14).
MORE MONEY: In Atlanta, Michael Cunningham noted the Braves are "making good" on their pledge to raise their payroll above the $206M figure they spent in 2023. The projection for 2024 is around $225M, but the team likely “won’t spend for one of the top free-agent pitchers still on the market.” Adding significantly more money to the payroll "seems unlikely because it would mean luxury taxes on top of the salaries.” The Braves last season had a luxury-tax payroll around $13M above the threshold. That is projected to be $9M above the second threshold in 2024. They would "be subject to an additional penalties for payroll above that amount and for surpassing the tax threshold two years in a row" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSITUTION, 12/14).
