Mets are No. 1 in spending again as MLB average salary hits a record $5.34 million, according to AP study
The Mets’ Juan Soto on Opening Day at Citi Field last month. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Surprise, surprise.
For the fourth straight season, the Mets — backed by the billions of owner Steve Cohen — led MLB with an Opening Day payroll of $352.2 million, according to an Associated Press study published Thursday. That total is up from $322.6 million last year and below the $355.4 million record the club set in 2023.
Juan Soto, for the second consecutive season, is the highest-paid player in baseball at $61.9 million. Bo Bichette, at $42 million, is tied with Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler as the third-highest-paid player this season.
“It’s good to be part of an organization who’s going out and doing every single thing they possibly can to put a winning team out on the field,” first-year Mets second baseman Marcus Semien, in the fifth season of a seven-year, $175 million contract he signed with Texas, told Newsday before Thursday night’s 7-1 loss to the Diamondbacks at Citi Field.
“I think when you look at ownership, since they’ve bought the team, that’s been a goal of theirs,” Semien said. “That feels good as a player, and you hope that’s the mindset of every organization because that’ll make a more competitive league.”
MLB’s average salary rose 3.4% on Opening Day to a record $5,335,966, up from $5,160,245 at the start of last season and up 28% over the course of the five-year collective bargaining agreement that expires in December.
The Mets’ total is more than five times the lowest-spending team: Cleveland at $62.3 million.
If deals with players with deferred money had not been discounted to present-day value, the Dodgers — who have deferred deals with nine players — would have an MLB-high payroll of $395.2 million. The Mets, who have three players with deals including deferred money, would have a $360 million payroll without discounting.
The job Mets players and coaches have this year comes with inherent pressure, especially after missing the postseason last year. But manager Carlos Mendoza doesn’t necessarily see the massive payroll adding to that.
“There’s always pressure here in New York,” he said. “You have high expectations regardless of the payroll. We got a goal — that’s not only to get to October but to play deep into October. So with the expectations, there’s always going to come a lot, right?
“So I don’t see it more than like, we have a responsibility and we have a really good opportunity here.”
Massive payrolls, of course, carry over to the Bronx. The Yankees’ $297.2 million Opening Day payroll is the third-highest in baseball. Cody Bellinger, who returned to the Yankees after inking a five-year, $162.5 million contract in January, is the second-highest-paid player this season at $42.5 million. Aaron Judge is the sixth-highest-paid at $40 million.
While Bellinger took the deal that was best for himself, setting the standard for future free agents also was important.
“Revenues and TV deals and everything, that’s going up, right?” Bellinger told Newsday before Thursday’s 1-0 loss to the A’s. “On top of that, the players before you setting the standard and you want to, as players, continue setting the standard for the players coming up in the future because revenues are only going up.
“And so, as players, we want to continue raising the bar for players. That’s what the players in the past have done, and that’s what we want to continue to do.”
Semien, who is a player representative on MLBPA’s executive subcommittee, has been a free agent twice and emphasized the “freedom” free agents have in letting their open market build. He agreed with Bellinger about setting the tone for future free agents.
“[What] ends up happening naturally, is ‘OK, this is what I think I should get. Marcus got seven years,’ ” Semien said. “I’m sure that happened with guys behind me. I saw Dansby [Swanson] and Willy [Adames] end up getting seven years after me. As a 31-year-old, that was important for me to try and get those seven years.
“So the next person who comes at my age, with my performance, or somewhere close, can try and do the same.”
Notes & quotes: Soto (right calf strain) hit in the batting cage and played catch Wednesday but is not running yet. “Just trying to keep him with baseball activities as much as we can,” Mendoza said . . . Jorge Polanco (Achilles tendinitis) was not in the lineup Thursday and has been limited to DH duties since March 29. Mendoza said it’s “hard to tell” how long that will last. Polanco eventually might need an IL stint, but Mendoza said “it’s fluid.” . . . A.J. Minter (left lat) pitched a perfect inning for Class A St. Lucie on Thursday to begin his rehab assignment.
Newsday’s David Lennon contributed to this story.
Ben Dickson is Newsday Sports' general assignment reporter. He joined Newsday’s high school sports staff in 2023 after graduating from Maryland, where he covered several of the Terrapins' teams.
