#luxury-tax

#luxury-tax

The Toronto Blue Jays have spent almost this entire offseason in pursuit of the top free agent in the 2025-26 class in star outfielder Kyle Tucker. With all of the talent to be an elite five-tool player while heading into his prime, his potential could be limitless in the ensuing seasons ahead. In order to be successful in recruiting him, the Blue Jays may need to offer Tucker the most money to win the sweepstakes.

When it comes to a team like the Yankees potentially wanting Hoerner, they do not have many pieces that would make a trade worthwhile for the Cubs. Anyone the Cubs might want, such as Cam Schlittler or Ben Rice, is likely not available. The Yankees could really use Hoerner, but the Cubs have no need for the pieces Brian Cashman could offer in a potential deal.

Boston Celtics Biggest need: The Celtics are still missing Jayson Tatum, who could come back later this season from the torn Achilles he suffered in last year's playoffs against the Knicks. Still, assuming Boston makes a move, its biggest need is getting out of the luxury tax to reset its repeater tax clock and see if it can move Anfernee Simons. With a guard-heavy roster, adding a big man would make sense. -- Tim Bontemps

Though the Brewers have continually downplayed the possibility of actually trading him, ace right-hander Freddy Peralta continues to draw a wide array of interest. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic include the Dodgers and Braves among a list of teams to inquire with the Brewers, joining a group of previously reported clubs that includes the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox. All of those clubs are still believed to have interest in the righty.

Imai settled for an $18MM average annual value that landed below most projections. Houston got a short-term deal at a reasonable salary by offering opt-out chances after each of the first two seasons. RosterResource projects their Opening Day payroll around $242MM. They're at an estimated $238MM in luxury tax commitments. The Astros also need to pay a $9.975MM release fee to Imai's NPB club, the Seibu Lions. That does not count against their luxury tax ledger, though it's a not insignificant sum for what could amount to one year of Imai's services if he opts out.

The final calculations for the luxury tax bill of all 30 MLB teams have been revealed recently, with the Los Angeles Dodgers paying a record amount of $169.4 million in penalties for the 2025 season. The competitive balance tax (CBT) threshold continued its growth for the 2025 MLB season with a new high of $241 million, but the Dodgers far surpassed it with a payroll of $417.3 million.

The question going into next season, naturally, is just how much the team has available to spend, and the answer appears to be that same $211MM-$221MM range. " We anticipate payroll will remain at a similar level to last year....We're operating the club as we have for the last five or six years," Padres chairman John Seidler told the San Diego Union-Tribune's Kevin Acee and other reporters on Monday at the Winter Meetings.

By the by, it appears that Alex Anthopoulos spoke to reporters yesterday. While I haven't seen a broad summary of his remarks, we have teeny-tiny snippets like: If you take it at face value, this suggests two-plus serious-money additions at key positions, and then whatever "a lot of relievers" means, which could range from a bunch of cheap deals and speculative adds, to this Front Office's erstwhile-or-maybe-not strategy of dumping a big chunk of payroll into the bullpen for whatever reason.

Thirteen players have received a qualifying offer this year, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The list is as follows: This year's QO is valued at $22.025MM. All 13 players will have the next 15 days to decide whether to accept that one-year offer or decline and become a free agent. They can spend that time gauging the open market to determine interest in their services.

The league's best teams often teeter on a knife's edge, thriving thanks to continuity but in a constant state of fragility, which explains the current state of the weakened Eastern Conference. The two favorites, who meet in a made-for-television opener Wednesday in New York, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Knicks (7 p.m. ET on ESPN), are in this place because of the consistency of their rosters and misfortune of fellow contenders.

On Aug. 25, 2012, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers completed a nine-player trade that altered the course of both franchises. The Dodgers acquired Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Adrián González and Nick Punto in a deal that added over $250 million in salary. Boston received Ivan De Jesus Jr., Rubby De La Rosa, James Loney, Jerry Sands and Allen Webster. More importantly, they finished the 2012 season under the luxury tax threshold and avoided the 40-percent repeater penalty.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have 21 picks during the 2025 MLB Draft, beginning with their first selection at No. 40 overall due to penalties from exceeding luxury tax thresholds.