Count Boston Red Sox owner John Henry among those who believe spending more money aids in building a winning team.According to ESPN.com's David Schoenfield Cory Spangenberg Jersey , Henry suggested as much Monday:"I think the Baltimore payroll was double what the Tampa payroll was last year. Close to double. There is a correlation, I'm sure there is a correlation, but it's not as perfect. It's very difficult to predict things in baseball, to predict player performance. Spending more money helps."That may seem obvious, but it flew in the face of what MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said previously, as he opined, "I reject the notion that payroll is a good measure for how much a team is trying or how successful that team is going to be."There has been no shortage of debate regarding the importance of spending, since the top available free agents, Bryce Harper and Manny Machado, remain unsigned at the start of spring training.Spending yielded mixed results in 2018. The Red Sox won the World Series with the top payroll at over$227 million, and the Los Angeles Dodgers won their second consecutive National League pennant with the third-highest payroll at a shade under $200 million.The Chicago Cubs (fourth), New York Yankees (sixth) and Houston Astros (ninth) all made the playoffs.Half the teams in the top 10 did not reach the postseason, though, as the San Francisco Giants (second) Eric Hosmer Jersey , Washington Nationals (fifth), Los Angeles Angels (seventh), St. Louis Cardinals (eighth) and Seattle Mariners (10th) all fell short.Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics reached the playoffs with the league's third-lowest payroll.Selectivity in free agency played a huge role in the Red Sox's World Series win. Like Harper and Machado this year, slugger J.D. Martinez went unsigned into spring training in 2018. Boston picked him up, and he had a huge year with a .330 batting average, 43 home runs and 130 RBI.The Red Sox are once again set to enter the season with MLB's highest payroll, while the Cubs, Yankees and Dodgers are the next three in line. All four of those teams are expected to make the playoffs.Spending may not be the only indicator of team success, but the Red Sox have shown over the past 15 years that allocating big money wisely can go a long way toward building championship-winning clubs. ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — For the first time since 2000, a new manager will be in the home clubhouse at Tempe Diablo Stadium when the Los Angeles Angels report to spring training.Mike Scioscia spent 19 years in charge of the Halos, and Brad Ausmus is aware of the enormity of the shoes he is about to fill.The former Detroit manager already got a jump on his new job as a special assistant to general manager Billy Eppler, watching up close while the Angels completed their third straight losing season. He already has ideas about how to change it when the Angels get back to work.“I was with the Angels all last year Jose Pirela Jersey ,” Ausmus said. “I know the entire front office. I know the players. The players know who I am. So I think that’s going to make it a little bit easier.”Mike Trout, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton, Andrelton Simmons and Shohei Ohtani are all familiar with Ausmus, and they’re not alone. The Angels didn’t change the major components of last year’s 80-win team, instead banking on improved health and new leadership to propel them closer to their first playoff victory in Trout’s career.One thing fans won’t see much in spring is Ohtani, who is recovering after undergoing Tommy John surgery Oct. 1.Ohtani has been cleared for weight training, and he will be cleared to swing a bat shortly. He probably won’t hit in spring training games, and he won’t pitch at all this year.But Ohtani will be with his teammates throughout spring, and the AL Rookie of the Year’s mere presence will be enough to attract some fans hoping for a pregame autograph.Here are some more things to watch as the Ausmus Era begins in Tempe:NEW LOOK: Although Eppler never mentions it, Pujols’ mammoth contract looms over every decision made by the Angels, who didn’t spend on the biggest names in free agency. They added veteran starters Matt Harvey and Trevor Cahill and picked up Cleveland career saves leader Cody Allen for the bullpen, but well-traveled catcher Jonathan Lucroy was the biggest position-player addition. They’ll have proven big-league pitchers at every spot in the rotation, but no stars like Dallas Keuchel Kevin Kiermaier Jersey , who would seem a natural fit at the Big A.ROOKIES TO WATCH: For the first time in years, the Angels might have a couple of these — and it could make a big difference. Former GM Jerry Dipoto decimated the Angels’ farm system before he left in July 2015, and Eppler’s seeds are finally starting to blossom. Right-hander Griffin Canning seems likely to crack the roster this season, and promising position players Luis Rengifo and Jo Adell could be ready soon afterward.THEY’RE SET: The Angels look good up the middle, with Trout in center field backing a double-play combination of brilliant shortstop Simmons and youngster David Fletcher or veteran Zack Cozart at second. Lucroy is a quality veteran behind the plate, although many quality veteran hitters have suddenly forgotten how to hit upon joining the Angels.THEY’RE NOT: Pujols makes far too much money not to play, but Ohtani is a superior designated hitter. That means Pujols must keep himself in shape enough to play consistently at first base, where he is still a solid fielder. The Angels’ bullpen is an unpredictable mix of newcomers and inconsistent holdovers, but Eppler has a solid track record here.ON DECK: Along with Adell and Rengifo getting a taste of big-league camp, the Angels are welcoming back Peter Bourjos, the speedy outfielder drafted by LA in 2005. He spent four seasons with the Angels before making stops with six other organizations, but he is back with a minor-league deal and an invite to spring. If he rediscovers his swing, a roster spot could be available when the Angels open the regular season March 28 in Oakland.