Mets set to shatter payroll records, soar to about $350M

NEW YORK (AP) — Steve Cohen's New York Mets are on track to shatter spending records in his third season as owner, boosting payroll to about $350 million for purposes of the luxury tax and poised to pay a penalty of about $80 million.

New York added veteran starters Justin Verlander and Jose Quintana plus reliever David Robertson and Japanese pitcher Kodai Senga while re-signing center fielder Brandon Nimmo.

“Everybody’s talking about us and that’s fine,” Quintana said during a Zoom news conference Wednesday.

Coming off his third Cy Young Award, the 39-year-old Verlander became the second $43.33 million pitcher in New York's rotation, joining for a two-year deal that matched the average salary of 38-year-old Max Scherzer.

Quintana, a 33-year-old lefty, got a $26 million, two-year contract and Robertson, 37, a $10 million, one-year deal to serve as a setup man for All-Star closer Edwin Díaz, who stayed for a $102 million, five-year commitment. In addition, Nimmo received a $162 million, eight-year contract, the Mets acquired lefty reliever Brooks Raley in a trade with Tampa Bay and reached a $75 million, five-year deal with Senga, pending a successful physical. In all, the team committed $461.7 million to six free agents, including five pitchers.

“We have done a lot of lifting and we’ve had a very fortunate investment from Steve and Alex Cohen in this club,” general manager Billy Eppler said, referring to the owner and his wife. “The commitment is very evident here and the goals are very evident.”

New York already was on track to set a luxury tax payroll record for 2022, at $298.8 million, according to Aug. 31 projections by Major League Baseball, with final figures still being compiled. Mets spending for the tax payroll rose from $186 million during the last fully...