Ranking MLB’s Biggest Spenders: Top 10 Opening Day Payrolls

The New York Mets are set to create headlines; if not on the field, then surely off-field. Though the regular season has already hit the ground and teams have started grabbing the attention of their fans, ahead of this, the off-season wasn’t quite a hush. Throughout the 2023 off-season, teams have been moving heaven and earth to bring revolution to their force, causing them to spend a major chunk.

But which team spent the most? Is it the Dodgers who locked in most of the biggest persuasions this off-season, including Shohei Ohtani? Or is there any other team that left the Dodgers behind? Recently, an MLB insider presented the ranking of the Opening Day 40-Man Payrolls, which unveiled the unexpected.

Ranking the biggest spender on the Opening Day

The regular season of Major League Baseball finally started, and this is probably the most fitting time to look back at the teams that spent a massive chunk on talent acquisition. Recently, a renowned MLB insider, Spotrac, presented the ranking of the team where the New York Mets grabbed the first position with $338 million, followed by the Dodgers and the Yankees with $323 million and $311 million, respectively.

This marks the second season for the New York Mets, where they grabbed the position of the highest spender with a payroll of around $355 million. 2023 also saw them facing a demotivating season despite spending a mammoth amount. The team finished fourth in the National League East at 75-87.

But this season is meant to bring difference if we can completely rely on the mindset of the team owner, Steve Cohen. While investing a whopping $64 million in the players, who are not even with the team right now, and paying $11 million salary to the minor league, the team continues to weave hope strings to bore fruit from their investments. Will their dream turn into reality?

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What does the team owner have in mind this year?

Coming off a disastrous year, Mets owner Steve Cohen has kept his fingers crossed for this year. During a recent news conference at City Field, ahead of their clash with the Milwaukee Brewers, Steve remarked, “I think the goal is to make the playoffs. Pretty simple,” highlighting their solo intention this season. Cohen, looking at the bigger picture, emphasised minor league prospects, trading star Pitchers like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.

Though the opening match saw them allowing their opponent, Brewers, to clinch the victory with a 3-1, hopefully, there is much more to be revealed in the upcoming matches. As the team comes with a much stronger defence under the guidance of new baseball operations president David Stearns, fans will hope to see a much better outcome than the previous year. But uncertain of the amount of their strength, the probability of their playoff appearance still remains in haze.

Read More: New York Mets Land J.D. Martinez in Bargain 1-Year Deal, Bolster Offense Amidst Ambitious Playoff Hopes