Overview
- MLB Labor Relations Department figures obtained Wednesday by USA TODAY show the Mets at $357.6 million on their 40-man payroll, with the Dodgers at $322.4 million.
- The LRD uses present-day values that count salaries and pro-rated bonuses, which differ from luxury-tax math and can shrink teams’ reported totals when deals include large deferrals.
- Shohei Ohtani’s 10-year contract is mostly deferred, so his 2026 LRD salary is $28.206 million while his competitive-balance tax hit is $46 million.
- Kyle Tucker’s new four-year deal illustrates the gap too, with a $33 million LRD salary this year but a $57.121 million annual luxury-tax charge because of how the bonus and deferrals are structured.
- USA TODAY reports a record 11 teams at or above $200 million, Yahoo notes the Dodgers trail the Mets under LRD math, and ClutchPoints cites Spotrac’s estimate that Los Angeles will owe about $538.2 million including tax as calls for a cap and a floor build before the CBA expires in 2026.