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SAN FRANCISCO — The Los Angeles Dodgers, the two-time World Series champions, the team that is drawing all of the hatred, the team responsible for calls for a salary cap, wishes everyone would stop and just look at the numbers.
Yes, they project to open the season with a $322.4 million payroll, based on the MLB Labor Relations Department's present-day salary calculations on 40-man rosters obtained this week by USA TODAY Sports.
But guess what?
Due to the Dodgers' heavy use of deferred contracts and signing bonuses, the team's 2026 payroll is dwarfed by the New York Mets, whose 40-man payroll is projected at $357.6 million (in MLB's calculated present-day value).
That's a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last year and last won a World Series in 1986.
The New York Yankees, who last won the World Series in 2009, are the third team that projects to open the season with a payroll exceeding $300 million.
Why, there are four teams this season who will open the season with payrolls within $50 million of the Dodgers: the Yankees ($301 million), Philadelphia Phillies ($283.6 million) and Toronto Blue Jays ($278.9 million).
There are a record 11 teams who are projected to open the season with payrolls of at least $200 million, according to the labor relations salary figures submitted to teams.
The San Francisco Giants, who last reached the playoffs in 2021, are the only team among the top 11 payrolls who have failed to reach the postseason in the last two years.
On the flip side – to the frustrations of the big-market teams who provide revenue sharing every year – there are eight teams whose opening-day payrolls will be below $100 million. The Cleveland Guardians are the only sub-$100 million team that reached the postseason last year.
Here are the bottom 11 teams in projected 40-man payroll:
The only teams without a top-10 payroll who reached the postseason the past two years are the Brewers and the Guardians. And yet, the only teams with a top-10 payroll who have reached the postseason each of the past two seasons are the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and Padres.
The team making the biggest payroll jump in payroll from a year ago are the Tigers, rising by more than $60 million and the Blue Jays, with about a $50 million increase. The Texas Rangers, who missed the playoffs last year, had the biggest decrease from $220.5 million to $183.5 million.
There are 76 players who will earn more than $20 million this year, led by New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto, whose salary is $61.875 million when calculated by MLB’s Labor Relations Department. The LRD numbers include the player’s actual salary plus his pro-rated signing bonus before any player or club options.
This is why Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240 million contract this winter, has a $33 million salary, per MLB’s calculations this year, but skyrockets to $80.5 million in 2027. He has an opt-out after the 2027 season, and his salary is listed at $53.79 million each of the last two years, according to the LRD.
Tucker will earn a base salary of just $1 million this season, and will earn $32 million of his $64 million signing bonus. The contract jumps in 2027 since his base salary rises from $1 million to $45 million, with a $48.5 million present-day value of his contact.
The Dodgers still are responsible for a $57.121 million luxury tax hit each year for Tucker. His AAV is reduced because of the $30 million of deferrals in his contract, lowering the present-day value of his contract from $240 million to $228.485 million.
It’s similar to the calculations for Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s contract. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract, but $680 million is deferred, lowering the AAV to $460 million. Ohtani’s salary this year is calculated at $28.206 million, according to the LRD.
The LRD numbers are not used for team’s luxury tax calculations. The Dodgers’ luxury-tax payment for Ohtani will be $46 million, and not $28.2 million, but still saves them $24 million a year because of his record deferrals. Luxury tax salaries are the total of a players’ salary (present-day value) divided by the number of guaranteed years.
The Dodgers and Yankees each have six players earning at least $20 million this year, while the Mets, Giants and Padres have five players apiece.
The Washington Nationals are the lone team with no player earning $10 million, topped by Trevor Williams’ $7 million salary. The St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays each have only one $10 million player.
(Entering opening week – Includes 40-man rosters, non-roster players and cash transactions)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB payrolls 2026: Why Dodgers don't have the highest in baseball
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Yes, they project to open the season with a $322.4 million payroll, based on the MLB Labor Relations Department's present-day salary calculations on 40-man rosters obtained this week by USA TODAY Sports.
But guess what?
Due to the Dodgers' heavy use of deferred contracts and signing bonuses, the team's 2026 payroll is dwarfed by the New York Mets, whose 40-man payroll is projected at $357.6 million (in MLB's calculated present-day value).
That's a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last year and last won a World Series in 1986.
The New York Yankees, who last won the World Series in 2009, are the third team that projects to open the season with a payroll exceeding $300 million.
Why, there are four teams this season who will open the season with payrolls within $50 million of the Dodgers: the Yankees ($301 million), Philadelphia Phillies ($283.6 million) and Toronto Blue Jays ($278.9 million).
There are a record 11 teams who are projected to open the season with payrolls of at least $200 million, according to the labor relations salary figures submitted to teams.
The San Francisco Giants, who last reached the playoffs in 2021, are the only team among the top 11 payrolls who have failed to reach the postseason in the last two years.
On the flip side – to the frustrations of the big-market teams who provide revenue sharing every year – there are eight teams whose opening-day payrolls will be below $100 million. The Cleveland Guardians are the only sub-$100 million team that reached the postseason last year.
Here are the bottom 11 teams in projected 40-man payroll:
- Colorado Rockies: $118.3 million
- Pittsburgh Pirates: $102 million
- St. Louis Cardinals: $98.1 million
- Minnesota Twins: $96.7 million
- Athletics: $91.8 million
- Tampa Bay Rays: $89.6 million
- Washington Nationals: $87.9 million
- Chicago White Sox: $83.9 million
- Miami Marlins: $79.4 million
- Cleveland Guardians: $70 million
The only teams without a top-10 payroll who reached the postseason the past two years are the Brewers and the Guardians. And yet, the only teams with a top-10 payroll who have reached the postseason each of the past two seasons are the Dodgers, Yankees, Phillies, and Padres.
The team making the biggest payroll jump in payroll from a year ago are the Tigers, rising by more than $60 million and the Blue Jays, with about a $50 million increase. The Texas Rangers, who missed the playoffs last year, had the biggest decrease from $220.5 million to $183.5 million.
There are 76 players who will earn more than $20 million this year, led by New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto, whose salary is $61.875 million when calculated by MLB’s Labor Relations Department. The LRD numbers include the player’s actual salary plus his pro-rated signing bonus before any player or club options.
This is why Dodgers right fielder Kyle Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240 million contract this winter, has a $33 million salary, per MLB’s calculations this year, but skyrockets to $80.5 million in 2027. He has an opt-out after the 2027 season, and his salary is listed at $53.79 million each of the last two years, according to the LRD.
Tucker will earn a base salary of just $1 million this season, and will earn $32 million of his $64 million signing bonus. The contract jumps in 2027 since his base salary rises from $1 million to $45 million, with a $48.5 million present-day value of his contact.
The Dodgers still are responsible for a $57.121 million luxury tax hit each year for Tucker. His AAV is reduced because of the $30 million of deferrals in his contract, lowering the present-day value of his contract from $240 million to $228.485 million.
It’s similar to the calculations for Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani’s contract. He signed a 10-year, $700 million contract, but $680 million is deferred, lowering the AAV to $460 million. Ohtani’s salary this year is calculated at $28.206 million, according to the LRD.
The LRD numbers are not used for team’s luxury tax calculations. The Dodgers’ luxury-tax payment for Ohtani will be $46 million, and not $28.2 million, but still saves them $24 million a year because of his record deferrals. Luxury tax salaries are the total of a players’ salary (present-day value) divided by the number of guaranteed years.
The Dodgers and Yankees each have six players earning at least $20 million this year, while the Mets, Giants and Padres have five players apiece.
The Washington Nationals are the lone team with no player earning $10 million, topped by Trevor Williams’ $7 million salary. The St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays each have only one $10 million player.
MLB payrolls 2026
(Entering opening week – Includes 40-man rosters, non-roster players and cash transactions)
- New York Mets — $357,626,125
- Los Angeles Dodgers — $322,385,057
- New York Yankees — $301,064,810
- Philadelphia Phillies — $283,686,918
- Toronto Blue Jays — $278,989,858
- Atlanta Braves — $252,141,372
- Houston Astros — $246,519,331
- San Diego Padres — $224,833,896
- Chicago Cubs — $220,693,350
- Detroit Tigers — $209,415,401
- San Francisco Giants — $200,800,003
- Boston Red Sox — $198,883,374
- Texas Rangers — $183,539,230
- Arizona Diamondbacks — $183,460,266
- Los Angeles Angels — $179,002,696
- Baltimore Orioles — $170,369,743
- Seattle Mariners — $160,726,794
- Kansas City Royals — $141,244,816
- Milwaukee Brewers — $125,467,605
- Cincinnati Reds — $124,308,099
- Colorado Rockies — $118,302,854
- Pittsburgh Pirates — $102,058,886
- St. Louis Cardinals — $98,115,902
- Minnesota Twins — $96,726,784
- Athletics — $91,849,688
- Tampa Bay Rays — $89,632,420
- Washington Nationals — $87,955,033
- Chicago White Sox — $83,892,150
- Miami Marlins — $79,429,030
- Cleveland Guardians — $69,984,029
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB payrolls 2026: Why Dodgers don't have the highest in baseball
Continue reading...
