The New York Mets are seeking to keep their 2026 payroll within $310-320 million, according to a recent report from the New York Post. Considering the historic spending spree that the Mets have been on in recent years – such as signing Juan Soto to a record $765 million deal last offseason – and the team coming off a 2025 campaign that saw it miss the playoffs, this led to widespread rage from the fan base.
But Mets owner Steve Cohen isn’t having it.
“As typical, the usual idiots misinterpreting a Post article on Mets payroll for ‘26,” Cohen said in a X post on Friday morning. “I can’t imagine our payroll to be lower than last year. It’s always hard to predict, but that would be my best guess.”
“Payroll watchers always forget to budget for waiver claims, player movement from minors to majors and trade deadline moves,” Cohen said in a later post. “That’s how it typically works.”
Alrighty, then.
For what it’s worth, this was Cohen’s first post to X since Sept. 29, the day after the Mets’ final game of the 2025 regular season.
Last season, the Mets’ payroll was second in MLB at $342.3 million, per Spotrac. At present, their 2026 payroll is $275.8 million, which is fourth in the sport.
Thus far, it has been an offseason that has left much to be desired for Mets fans, as the team lost homegrown star first baseman Pete Alonso, closer Edwin Diaz and midseason acquisitions Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Cedric Mullins to free agency. Meanwhile, New York traded homegrown outfielder Brandon Nimmo to the Texas Rangers for second baseman Marcus Semien.
As for incoming free agents, the Mets have signed former New York Yankees relievers Devin Williams (three-year, $51 million deal) and Luke Weaver (two-year, $22 million deal), as well as former Seattle Mariners infielder Jorge Polanco (two-year, $40 million).
Cohen bought the Mets from the Wilpon family in November 2020 for a reported $2.4 billion.
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