The Seattle Mariners' 2026 payroll is a good news/bad news situation. It's up from 2025, but still a middle-of-the-road payroll at a projected $162 million. That remains the franchise's lane even in a World Series-or-bust year.
Because this is a World Series-caliber team — particularly after this week's long-awaited trade for Brendan Donovan — maybe quibbling about payroll amounts to picking nits. All anyone should want is a great team, regardless of the cost.
However, it's harder to come down on this side of the fence after what happened on Wednesday. Out of nowhere, the Detroit Tigers signed Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million contract.