NEW YORK — The Los Angeles Dodgers were hit with a $32 million luxury tax for the second straight season, among six teams paying a penalty as Major League Baseball payrolls rebounded after the lockout to a record $4.56 billion.
The New York Mets set a luxury tax payroll record at $299.8 million, topping the $297.9 million of the 2015 Dodgers, and will pay tax for the first time since the penalty started in 2003, according to final figures compiled by MLB and obtained by the AP.
The Philadelphia Phillies — who won the National League pennant last fall — New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and Boston Red Sox also exceeded the $230 million tax threshold. The total tax of $78 million topped the previous high of $74 million in 2016, when six teams also paid.
The Dodgers, assessed at a higher rate because they exceeded the threshold for the second straight year, owe $32.4 million on a luxury tax payroll of $293.3 million. That was down slightly from their $32.6 million penalty for 2021.
Trevor Bauer was counted at $4,109,890 for the luxury tax in 2022 and $3,868,131 for regular payroll. Any money saved from the clawback in 2023 during the pitcher’s suspension under the domestic violence policy will be reflected in the Dodgers’ 2023 payroll figures.