A proposed MLB salary cap would force the Mets to change the way they do business, even if it doesn’t completely take Steve Cohen out of the equation.
MLB has put forward a $258.2 million cap along with a $180.2 million floor, and if that framework ever becomes reality, the Mets are one of the clubs that would have to make the biggest adjustments. Their current payroll sits at $281.7 million with projected arbitration salaries, which already puts them beyond that proposed cap before any new spending is added. And that’s before accounting for what would likely be another $40-45 million to upgrade the rotation, whether that comes through Tarik Skubal or a mix of pitchers such as Clay Holmes and Michael King.
That kind of system would reshape how the Mets think about contracts. David Stearns has preferred shorter-term deals, but a cap would push the team toward spreading money out over more years. In other words, the Mets would have to become more careful about how they structure every dollar.
They’ve already shown the kind of approach that could become harder to pull off. When the Mets signed Max Scherzer, and then Justin Verlander a year later, they were willing to pay a premium annual salary if it meant getting out of the deal sooner.
Sean Manaea’s three-year, $75 million contract fit that mold, since it felt like four years of money packed into three seasons. Jorge Polanco’s two-year, $40 million deal was another example, since most teams likely would have gone to a third year.
Those kinds of contracts give the Mets flexibility now. Manaea and Polanco are both set to hit free agency after the 2027 season, which is a cleaner exit than carrying extra years on the books. Stearns has been consistent about valuing that flexibility, including in the Brandon Nimmo for Marcus Semien trade, where the point was to clear salary space down the road.
A capped league would make those big splashy moves tougher to pull off. No more Bo Bichette getting $42 million from the Mets.
Juan Soto probably still gets what he got, but maybe at the expense of not signing Polanco in the first place. That’s the tradeoff.
The Mets would still have ways to work around the system, leaning more on younger players and structuring contracts to stay cap-friendly. But that also means being more selective, especially with deals like Polanco’s or a contract such as Frankie Montas at $17 million a year with a player option for the second season.
The first hurdle would simply be getting under the cap. If the Mets are already over the proposed number now, there’s every reason to think they’d be operating as a $300-plus million team again.
But if a cap arrives in 2028, the real squeeze could come after 2027, when a payroll around $340 million could drop quickly by moving on from Manaea at $25 million, Polanco at $20 million and Kodai Senga at $15 million. The harder part would be replacing those salaries with affordable production.
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