New York Mets Set Luxury Tax Record With $101 Million Bill...Just To Finish Fourth In The NL East

The New York Mets probably have a higher tax bill than you this year.

Last season, the Mets went all-in on assembling a star-studded roster. New York’s roster boasted names like Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso. From top-to-bottom, this team had all the makings of a World-Series frontrunner.

The one downside to this roster was an incredibly high payroll. Thanks to the seemingly countless lucrative deals, the Mets had $374.7 million-worth of contracts for the 2023 season alone.

It was a year of frustration for Pete Alonso and the Mets. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

Naturally, spending all that money means you get penalized. Thanks to all the lavish spending, the Mets had to fork over $100.7 million just in luxury tax money. That nearly equaled the combined total from the other seven teams that paid luxury taxes. It also more than doubled the previous record for luxury taxes set by the 2015 Dodgers ($43.6 million).

Now obviously, this seemed to be worth the risk. If you got that much star talent on a roster, that should put you in the mix to win the Fall Classic. At the very least, it should get you in the playoffs.

Right?

Unfortunately for Mets fans, that didn’t happen. Not by a long shot.

The New York Mets Had The Most Expensive Disappointing Season Ever

New York finished with just 75 wins and placed fourth in the NL East. That’s bad enough, before you get to the tax bill.

Verlander reunited with the Houston Astros, and Scherzer to the Texas Rangers. Scherzer helped best Verlander’s new team and brought the first World Series to Arlington. The Mets did pay for playoff success, they just did it for other teams.

Francisco Lindor and the Mets didn't have much to cheer for this year. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)

To make things worse, the Mets paid for some money owed to the pitchers for the 2023 season. Next year, they’ll pick up a combined $41.61 million between the two pitchers.

So essentially, the Mets paid nearly $400 million to watch two of their best players reach the postseason with other teams and get just 75 wins. That means each victory cost nearly $5 million, which is roughly the cost of a Bugatti Divo.

No matter how you cut it, this was the most expensive flop in MLB history. It’s going to take a while for the Mets to recover from this expensive gamble.