💰 Money player | Sports Daily Newsletter

Steve Cohen dipped into his pocket change, pulled out $765 million, and made Juan Soto an offer he couldn’t refuse. In the process, the Mets owner made his team a favorite in the NL East by signing a generational talent.

It’s your move, Phillies. David Murphy points out that even after this massive deal was outlined late Sunday at baseball’s winter meetings, the Mets still had a smaller payroll than the Phillies. Now the Phillies’ fate will be determined by how they respond.

So what will John Middleton, Dave Dombrowski, and the Phils brain trust do? They began Monday by signing off on a one-year deal with former Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano, who had elbow surgery in July.

The Phillies cannot simply keep spending, not when they’re butting up against the third luxury-tax threshold. Rather than free agency, they are likely to be more active in the trade market, major-league sources told Scott Lauber. Could Alec Bohm or Ranger Suárez be dealt?

The hot stove just got a little hotter around here.

— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.

If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here.

❓ What is your reaction to Dick Allen’s enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame? Email us back for a chance to be featured in the newsletter.

The Eagles have won nine straight, but their passing game looked out of sync Sunday in the victory over lowly Carolina. Jalen Hurts passed for only 108 yards, and afterward A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith voiced their frustration over the struggles in the passing game.

Coach Nick Sirianni said the emphasis on the running game is not making Hurts trigger-shy and added that the team will address any concerns “in-house.” He also reminded us: “Make no mistake about it, we’ve won nine games in a row and Jalen Hurts is a big reason why we’ve won nine games in a row.”

It is worth wondering, though, whether the Eagles have a problem with kicker Jake Elliott, who is 0-for-5 from beyond 50 yards on field goals this season.

On the positive side, Saquon Barkley surpassed LeSean McCoy’s Eagles single-season rushing record on Sunday. Shady says he was rooting for Barkley: “He’s going to be an Eagles great and he comes in every day giving 110%. I love dudes like that.”

After missing seven games to nurse his left knee, Joel Embiid returned Sunday for the Sixers’ road game against the Chicago Bulls. The timing could not have been better. Embiid posted 31 points and 12 rebounds, playing the freest he has all season. It no doubt helped that the Sixers knew Embiid could test his knee and settle into a four-day break before their next game. The Inquirer’s Gina Mizell writes about how the Sixers plan to utilize this unusually light stretch of their schedule.

Matvei Michkov has been doing unprecedented things ever since his arrival this summer.

How good has the teenager been? With his 20th birthday on Monday, here’s a look at where Michkov ranks among NHL teenagers in one key statistic since 2007-08. Let’s just say he’s in pretty good company.

Sunday night was an eventful one for Michkov, as the rookie picked up an assist, was handed a misconduct, and made one little kid’s day. That and more takeaways from the Flyers’ 4-2 loss to the Utah Hockey Club.

Sophomore Malachi Hosley rushed for 1,192 yards and nine touchdowns for Penn and became a unanimous All-Ivy League first-team selection this season. On Monday he entered the transfer portal. Hosley said he wants to “let people know I’m not leaving for the wrong reasons. Yes, I love Penn so it’s nothing to do with Penn.” It has more to do with name, image, and likeness opportunities at bigger programs.

Who is the all-time leader in career RBIs with the Phillies? First with the correct answer here will be featured in the newsletter.

A) Ed Delahanty

B) Mike Schmidt

C) Ryan Howard

D) Chuck Klein

We asked you: Does the close call for the Eagles against a poor team concern you? Among your responses:

Always concerning during a game where we should be decimating the other team. The fourth quarter looked dicey as the Birds seemed to be running out of steam. Kudos to Slay for the play that saved the game. — Kathy T.

It’s too late in the season to make any changes so I’m giving Sirriani & Co. a break for the holidays. They won a trap game, that’s not nothing. Hopefully this can be enough of a reminder of how last season went for the team to make quiet adjustments and refocus on maintaining their edge without overthinking things or trying to be dramatic with play calling. #runtheball — D.W.S.

Eagles were very fortunate to win that one. If that receiver had not juggled that catch near the goal line the streak would have been stopped. They forget the old adage, “On any given Sunday.” They let an inferior team outplay and outcoach them. An ugly win, but thankfully a win. I don’t think they really started tackling till the 4th quarter. Very uninspiring play on both sides of the ball as well as lots of questionable play calls. Hurts did not play up to his potential for sure, and Saquon who was about to break out was not used enough in key situations. But as we always say, “A win is a win.” Now hopefully they will be 100% prepared and ready for the very excellent Steelers team. — Everett S.

We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Jeff Neiburg, Gustav Elvin, Jackie Spiegel, Gina Mizell, David Murphy, Scott Lauber, Lochlahn March, Devin Jackson, and Conor Smith.

By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.

Thanks for reading. Bella will be at the newsletter controls on Wednesday. — Jim