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A16 SPORTS
Thursday 15 december 2022
Mets set to shatter payroll records, soar to about $350M
By RONALD BLUM Coming off his third Cy
AP Baseball Writer Young Award, the 39-year-
NEW YORK (AP) — Steve old Verlander became
Cohen’s New York Mets the second $43.33 million
are on track to shatter pitcher in New York’s rota-
spending records in his tion, joining for a two-year
third season as owner, deal that matched the av-
boosting payroll to about erage salary of 38-year-old
$350 million for purposes of Max Scherzer.
the luxury tax and poised Quintana, a 33-year-old
to pay a penalty of about lefty, got a $26 million, two-
$80 million. year contract and Robert-
New York added veteran son, 37, a $10 million, one-
starters Justin Verlander year deal to serve as a
and Jose Quintana plus setup man for All-Star clos-
reliever David Robertson er Edwin Díaz, who stayed
and Japanese pitcher Ko- for a $102 million, five-year
dai Senga while re-signing commitment. In addition,
center fielder Brandon Nimmo received a $162
Nimmo. million, eight-year con-
“Everybody’s talking about tract, the Mets acquired
us and that’s fine,” Quin- lefty reliever Brooks Raley
tana said during a Zoom Houston Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander speaks to media ahead of Game 1 of the baseball in a trade with Tampa Bay
World Series between the Houston Astros and the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022,
news conference Wednes- in Houston. and reached a $75 million,
day. Associated Press five-year deal with Senga,
pending a successful phys-
ical. In all, the team com-
mitted $461.7 million to six
free agents, including five
pitchers.
“We have done a lot of lift-
ing and we’ve had a very
fortunate investment from
Steve and Alex Cohen in
this club,” general manag-
er Billy Eppler said, referring
to the owner and his wife.
“The commitment is very
evident here and the goals
are very evident.”
New York already was on
track to set a luxury tax
payroll record for 2022, at
$298.8 million, according
to Aug. 31 projections by
Major League Baseball,
with final figures still being
compiled. Mets spending
for the tax payroll rose from
$186 million during the last
fully played season of the
Wilpon and Katz family
ownership in 2019 to $208
million in 2021, the first sea-
son after the pandemic.
They will pay the tax for the
first time this year.
MLB and the players’ asso-
ciation agreed last March
to a new fourth threshold
dubbed the Cohen Tax
“It’s better than a bridge
being named after you,”
the owner quipped. The
fourth threshold starts at
$293 million next year and
the Mets will pay a 90%
rate as a second offender
a projected $50 million tab
as of now.q
