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Tipsheet: Billionaire baseball owners create crazy bidding war for top talent

New York Mets owner Steve Cohen is trying to buy a World Championship.

His team’s payroll for 2023 is $345 million and counting. The Mets are already scheduled to pay more in baseball’s “luxury tax” than many teams will spend on their entire payroll.

Trouble is, Philadelphia Phillies owner John Middleton is trying to buy a World Championship too. So is San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have been in this mode for some time, since a bunch of rich guys got together to rescue the franchise from the goofy McCourts. (The Dodgers did hold back this offseason while fearing that pitcher Trevor Bauer’s contract could be reinstated and stick the franchise with a hefty luxury tax payment.