Mets Top Dodgers, Yankees for MLB's Highest 2025 Payroll at $323.1M

Major League Baseball's three biggest-spending teams in free agency are also the top three teams by payroll for the 2025 season.

Per MLB's present-day contract calculations obtained by USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the New York Mets have the highest payroll this season at $323.1 million.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are a very close second with a $321.3 million payroll, followed by the New York Yankees at $293.5 million.

Here is the full top-10 list of MLB payrolls in 2025:

1. New York Mets: $323.1 million
2. Los Angeles Dodgers: $321.3 million
3. New York Yankees: $293.5 million
4. Philadelphia Phillies: $284.2 million
5. Toronto Blue Jays: $239.6 million
6. Texas Rangers: $220.5 million
7. Atlanta Braves: $214.8 million
8. San Diego Padres: $208.9 million
9. Chicago Cubs: $196.3 million
10. Arizona Diamondbacks: $195.3 million

The Mets spent nearly three times more than any other team in free agency with over $1 billion in contracts handed out. Most of that was Juan Soto's record-setting $765 million deal, but they also paid to bring back Pete Alonso, Sean Manaea and bring in Clay Holmes.

As has been their approach for several years now, the Dodgers are taking advantage of deferred money to keep their payroll in check while they keep handing out big-money contracts.

After signing Blake Snell, Tanner Scott and Teoscar Hernández in the offseason, the Dodgers now owe more than $1 billion in deferred payments to eight players that will be paid out from 2028 to 2046.

From that $1 billion total, Shohei Ohtani accounts for $680 million of it when his deferred payments start in 2034.

Snell, who signed a five-year, $182 million contract with Los Angeles, got the most deferred money from the team this offseason ($66 million).

The Yankees didn't sit out of the offseason after failing to keep Soto. They handed out $240 million in free-agent contracts, with most of it going to Max Fried ($218 million over eight years) and Paul Goldschmidt ($12.5 million for one year).

That total doesn't include Cody Bellinger's salary since he was a trade acquisition, but that would add $22.5 million to their total. He's making $25 million in 2025, with the Chicago Cubs picking up $2.5 million of his salary.

In terms of total money spent in the offseason, including free agency, extensions, arbitration and international free agency, the Arizona Diamondbacks ($323.7 million) spent the third-most money after the Mets and Dodgers.

The investment from Diamondbacks management has them ranked in the top 10 in payroll for the second straight year after their run to the World Series in 2023.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are five teams with payrolls under $100 million this season.

The Miami Marlins are at the bottom of the list with $67.4 million in salary commitments. Sandy Alcántara, who is considered one of the most-likely trade candidates this season, is their only player making more than $3.5 million.

Other teams with sub-$100 million payrolls include the Pittsburgh Pirates ($87.6 million), Chicago White Sox ($82.3 million), Tampa Bay Rays ($79.2 million) and Athletics ($73.1 million).