Now that the Mets have reportedly bagged Carlos Correa on a $315 million deal in the shock of the offseason, it’s time to put Steve Cohen’s historic spending spree into perspective.
The best way to highlight just how much Cohen has invested in his team? Look no further than the luxury tax bill the Mets owner will have to dish out for his 2023 payroll after spending just over $800 million this offseason.
As it stands now, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Cohen will have to pay roughly $101 million in luxury tax fees next year, with half of that money being dispersed to other clubs. That $101 million sum is more than what 10 other MLB teams are paying for their entire 26-man rosters next season.
Those teams include two divisional rivals in the Marlins and Nationals, as well as notorious low-spending teams like the Rays, A’s, Pirates, Reds, Royals, and Guardians. It also eclipses that of the Orioles and Diamondbacks.
The offseason isn’t over yet, so those numbers could change, but the biggest free agent names are off the board (arguably the top free agent left is Nathan Eovaldi), so if the figures do change, it won’t be by much.
So, will these revelations be used to criticize Cohen for monopolizing the free agent market with his wealth of riches as baseball’s wealthiest owner, or will it open the other teams up to criticism for their reluctance to spend money? It should be the latter, but Cohen is likely not making too many friends across baseball’s ownership circle with the spending he has put out over the last two winters.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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