The 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) champions were the Texas Rangers. Founded in 1961, Texas was one of six teams to never win a World Series (best-of-seven), but this year they made their third WS appearance in franchise history, defeating the Arizona Diamondbacks four games to one. With so many records and stories to write about, they’ve been labeled the “fall guy.
In recent years, the MLB has seen a significant increase in team salaries. This year, the average MLB team’s payroll is just over $165 million ($217.9 billion). The luxury tax threshold for each team is $233 million ($30.77 billion). If a team exceeds the luxury tax threshold, it pays 20% of the excess in the first year, 30% in the second year, and a whopping 50% in the third year.
This season, seven clubs (out of a total of 30) have fallen foul of this threshold. The New York Mets top the list with over $340 million ($44.9 billion). They are followed by the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, Texas, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Houston Astros. Arizona, the team that beat Texas in the WS, has a team payroll of $119 million ($15.71 billion), which ranks 21st. 캡틴토토
Of the teams with luxury taxes, the Yankees, Mets, and San Diego failed to make the postseason (PS). Aside from the three teams that failed in fall baseball, none of them (except Texas) will be happy with the results. If you’re a team that spends enough money and has enough star power, your goal should be to win a WS, and the results were not what you expected. It’s hard not to be disappointed with the return on investment. Texas has spent a whopping $800 million ($1.564 trillion) in free agency over the past two years, and while that’s a lot of money, there are other teams that have spent even more, making Texas’ investment look “smart” in comparison.
Corey Seager, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of this year’s WS, already has a ring, having won one with the Dodgers in 2020. He was named MVP of that year’s Championship Series and is a player who “knows how to taste meat. Texas signed him to a massive 10-year, $325 million ($42.92 billion) contract in November 2021. Seager’s teammate, Marcus Simeon, a “quiet leader” who inspires his teammates, signed a seven-year, $175 million (23.11 billion won) guaranteed deal with the Texans. Nathan Eovaldi, who picked up five wins in this PS, has already experienced winning with the Boston Red Sox in 2018.
General manager Chris Young, who took over the baton after the departure of longtime manager and president John Daniels, added Jacob deGrom, Andrew Heaney, and Iboldi to the bullpen ahead of the season. While the team had to deal with the loss of DeGrom to injury, Iboldi and Jordan Montgomery were able to step up as a two-headed monster. They added veteran Max Scherzer in a trade to bolster the rotation. The final piece to the championship puzzle was a rational investment that brought the great Bruce Bochy back to the field after a three-year retirement.
Of course, they didn’t win the title alone. We can’t forget the exceptional performances of rookies like Josh Young and Evan Carter. But there’s no denying that the addition of veteran players with a wealth of PS experience and a proven track record was crucial. Texas’ choice was validated by their WS victory, which proved to be a wise investment.
