The New York Yankees are a team that is capable of spending a good deal of money in order to find the best pieces in free agency and build the strongest possible team.
They flexed their payroll muscle this offseason when they re-signed Aaron Judge to a nine-year, $360 million contract and also added left-hander Carlos Rodon on a six-year, $162 million deal.
However, the Yankees have yet to reach the World Series since 2009, and some fans have grown frustrated with the front office in recent years.
And on Wednesday, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner made a bold statement that may not sit well with the passionate fans of New York.
“I will say that you shouldn’t have to have a $300 million payroll to win a world championship because nobody has, including Hosuton.” — Hal Steinbrenner who prefaced that by acknowledging he always used to say you shouldn’t have to have a $200 million payroll to win https://t.co/UYjKmhN0qr
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 16, 2023
While Steinbrenner is technically correct that a large payroll is not always required to win championships, this will certainly rub some Yankees fans the wrong way.
As the owner of the Yankees, Steinbrenner is one of the richest men in all of baseball and can certainly afford to splurge on a free agent or two.
But based on his comments, he doesn’t anticipate the Yankees eclipsing $300 million on their payroll, which is odd, especially considering that now, the climate is starting to shift and teams are spending much more in order to improve their rosters.
The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres are perfect examples of the shifting climate, having signed Trea Turner and Xander Bogaerts to large contracts, respectively.
And let’s not forget about Steve Cohen and the New York Mets.
The Yankees can certainly afford to spend money and reach a high number for their payroll as the Mets, Padres, and Phillies have.
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