BOSTON — Flex or scrounge. Muscle up for today, conserve for tomorrow.
The Yankees could have continued in their familiar path this season. They are, after all, the only team to have paid the luxury tax every year since the system was installed in 2003 — the cost roughly $341 million. For 2018, let’s call this the Red Sox path.
Or the Yankees could have believed there was a potential to have their financial cake and eat it too by being championship quality this season while going under the threshold to gain long-term rewards. For 2018, let’s call this the Dodger model.