Major League Baseball Players Are Losing Over $2.5 billion This Year.

Major League Baseball payrolls plunged to $1.75 billion during the pandemic-shortened season from $4.22 billion, and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers led with $98.6 million — the smallest payroll for the top spender in 20 years.

Final 2020 payrolls for the 40-man rosters for all 30 MLB teams, including 60/162 pro-rated salaries, signing bonuses, incentive bonuses, non-cash compensation, buyouts of unexercised options and cash transactions.

While the luxury tax was suspended, three teams projected to finish over the $208 million tax threshold, based on full payrolls by average annual value and including benefits and a COVID credit of at least $1.5 million per club: the Yankees , Houston and the Chicago Cubs .

New York and Chicago, both over for the second straight year, would have paid at 30% of the amount above $208 million up until $228 million, and the Yankees would have paid 42% of the amount over $228 million.