Technically, there’s no hard salary cap in MLB—but there is a luxury tax, and some teams treat it like a polite suggestion instead of a rule. These front offices spend like they found a stack of free parking cash and a Get Out of Jail Free card.
Whether it’s handing out decade-long contracts like party favors or backing up the Brinks truck just because they can, these teams go big—and sometimes go broke. Here are 10 MLB front offices that treat their budget like Monopoly money.
10. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs love to act like they’re rebuilding, but then turn around and drop massive checks when the mood strikes. It’s like they’re bargain hunting at Gucci.
9. Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies saw the luxury tax and said, “Cool story, bro.” This team builds rosters like a fantasy league with no budget limit.
8. New York Mets
Steve Cohen treats the payroll like an art project. One year in, it’s chaos with vibes—another year, it’s a $300 million tab and no October baseball.
7. San Diego Padres
The Padres keep handing out contracts like Oprah handing out cars. No one’s sure how it all fits, but they keep spending and swinging.
6. Texas Rangers
They went from thrift store energy to making it rain in free agency. The front office decided to speedrun relevance using piles of cash and pure vibes.
5. Boston Red Sox
Some years, they act broke, and others open the vault like they’re printing money at Fenway. It’s the most unpredictable big-market energy in the game.
4. Los Angeles Angels
They’ve paid a fortune for stars and somehow built a roster that feels like a Hollywood reboot—big names, no results. The spending is wild, even if the win total isn’t.
3. Toronto Blue Jays
Canada’s team is swiping the credit card as if it doesn’t convert to USD. They’re not afraid to buy big pieces, even if the puzzle doesn’t fit.
Read More: 10 NFL Front Offices That Make Other Fan Bases Jealous
2. New York Yankees
The Yankees invented the concept of flexing your payroll. If money could win titles on its own, they’d never lose.
Read More: 10 NFL Front Offices That Keep Doubling Down on Bad Ideas
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers don’t just ignore the luxury tax—they dare it to stop them. Their front office is running a premium subscription version of MLB.
Read More: Ranking the 10 Best Front Offices in the NFL
