Mets Payroll Still Short of Luxury Tax

In the history of the franchise, the payroll of the Mets has never exceeding $117 million, a high water mark they set in 2003 during the ill-fated Mo Vaughn, Roberto Alomar, Jeromy Burnitz era. In '07 the team came close, sporting a payroll roughly at $115 million. However 2008 figures to be a historic year for the Amazin's, according to Adam Rubin on his Daily News blog. Rubin writes that "even if Santana doesn't get a signing bonus or other bump to the $13.25 million he's due to make in 2008, the Mets' payroll will be at an all-time high – an estimated $128 million." Even so, that figure does not even approach the luxury tax threshold, which the Wilpons have avoided like the plague for years.