On Monday, I looked at where the New York Mets’ payroll stands , with a player payroll around $146 million and a luxury tax payroll around $167 million at the moment. Today, let’s examine a few possible paths for the Mets this winter based on how much they’re willing to spend in free agency. In each scenario, I’m considering the Mets’ needs to be, in some order: What kind of team can the Mets build while getting under the luxury tax ($241 million)? The Mets haven’t even been able to contemplate resetting the luxury-tax penalties since they first surpassed the initial threshold in 2022.
They spent nearly $90 million in overage fees in 2023 and I estimate those fees to be slightly higher this season, potentially reaching $100 million. So shouldn’t Stearns and Co. take the opportunity to reset the penalties when presented with the chance? Advertisement “They all matter,” he said of the luxury tax thresholds.
“They all come with different penalties — financial, draft-pick compensation, potential international market spending capability. All of that is on my mind and will play a part in how aggressive we are in certain spaces.” The Mets have about $70 million to operate under the initial luxury tax threshold this winter.
That would leave room for one large expenditure that isn’t named Juan Soto , with others filled via a significant trade or two. For instance, the Mets could bring back Pete Alonso and Jesse Winker to fill their offensive needs (estimated .
