Tim Britton of The Athletic put together a fascinating story on the New York Mets and different payroll scenarios for the 2026 season. One scenario had the Mets running into the season with a $244 million payroll to get out from under any penalties. Another had them at $284 million where they don’t lose their draft position. Finally, he had a scenario where they spend $340 million again.
He came to a conclusion: there’s really only one choice.
It’s going to be really hard for the Mets to compete with anything short of a $340 million payroll in 2026
Even at $284 million, the Mets look light.