The New York Yankees have taken a backseat to the Dodgers and even the Mets as MLB's biggest spenders in recent years, but the franchise still has the resources to be aggressive. Just look at how they responded to Juan Soto leaving for the crosstown Mets.
In the days that followed Soto's exit, the Yankees brought in Max Fried, Cody Bellinger, Devin Williams and Paul Goldschmidt, reallocating some of what would have been Soto's money to fill out the rest of their roster.
The Boston Red Sox have plenty of resources as well, but they have faced criticism from some fans about their willingness to spend since the turn of the decade. Boston relented and brought in Garrett Crochet and Alex Bregman this past offseason, but the June trade of Rafael Devers and a quiet deadline left some fans wondering whether the Red Sox were truly all-in.
Here's a complete look at the 2025 payrolls for both the Yankees and Red Sox as they meet in the postseason for the first time in four years.
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Yankees payroll breakdown 2025
All contract data comes from Spotrac.
The Yankees are third in total payroll with $300.2 million on the books for 2025, trailing only the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets.
Here is a look at every Yankees player making more than $8 million, led by Aaron Judge.
| Player | 2025 salary |
| Aaron Judge | $40 million |
| Gerrit Cole* | $34 million |
| Giancarlo Stanton | $32 million |
| Cody Bellinger | $27.8 million |
| Carlos Rodon | $27.5 million |
| Max Fried | $14.5 million |
| Paul Goldschmidt | $12.5 million |
| Ryan McMahon | $12 million |
| Devin Williams | $8.6 million |
* — Missed entire 2025 season.
Five players account for more than half of the Yankees' 2025 payroll, as Judge, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, Cody Bellinger and Carlos Rodon all make more than $27 million. Cole, who underwent Tommy John Surgery in the spring, missed the entire season.
Fried signed a backloaded contract, so he only counts for $14.5 million in 2025 despite playing on a deal that averages more than $27 million annually. Fried is set to make $14.5 million again in 2026 before his salary jumps to $31.5 million over each of the final six years of his eight-year, $218 million deal.
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Red Sox payroll breakdown 2025
The Red Sox' payroll ranks 12th in MLB at $200.9 million, nearly $100 million behind the Yankees. While the Red Sox are seen as a franchise with considerable resources, Boston trails five non-playoff teams in total payroll.
Here's a look at every Red Sox player making more than $8 million in 2025:
| Player | 2025 salary |
| Alex Bregman | $25 million |
| Trevor Story | $22.5 million |
| Lucas Giolito | $19 million |
| Masataka Yoshida | $18.6 million |
| Steven Matz | $12.5 million |
| Jordan Hicks | $12.5 million |
| Aroldis Chapman | $10.8 million |
No Red Sox player is making as much in 2025 as the Yankees' five highest-paid players. Alex Bregman is Boston's highest-paid player at $25 million with Devers out of the picture, followed by a resurgent Trevor Story.
Three of the Red Sox's seven highest-paid players are relievers Steven Matz, Jordan Hicks and Aroldis Chapman, with Matz joining the team at the trade deadline and Hicks coming over in the Devers deal.
The Red Sox are still somewhat of a team in transition despite an aim toward winning a championship in 2025. Boston recently extended young star Roman Anthony on a deal that won't start to kick in until the years ahead, and the franchise is just getting out of Devers' mega deal that was shipped to the San Francisco Giants in June.
The Red Sox will also see Crochet's six-year, $170 million extension start to kick in next season, while Brayan Bello will start to see his salary jump on an extension he signed with the franchise.
The Devers trade gives Boston more financial flexibility, but the team is under pressure to follow through on it and spend in the offseason even after extending Crochet, Anthony and others. The first test case could be Bregman, who is likely to opt-out and hit the free agent market this winter.
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MLB playoff payrolls 2025
| Team | 2025 payroll | MLB rank |
| Dodgers | $350.3 million | 1st |
| Yankees | $300.2 million | 3rd |
| Phillies | $290.3 million | 4th |
| Blue Jays | $255.4 million | 5th |
| Padres | $216.8 million | 9th |
| Cubs | $211.9 million | 10th |
| Red Sox | $200.9 million | 12th |
| Mariners | $164.5 million | 15th |
| Tigers | $157.6 million | 17th |
| Brewers | $121.7 million | 22nd |
| Reds | $119.5 million | 23rd |
| Guardians | $100.4 million | 25th |
The Dodgers predictably have the highest payroll in baseball at $350.3 million, though one of MLB's three $300 million rosters missed the postseason: the Mets.
Six of MLB's 10 highest payrolls reached the postseason, while three teams that sit bottom 10 in payroll made the cut as well in the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Guardians. The Reds and Guardians both clinched playoff berths on the final weekend of the regular season, but the Brewers finished with the best record in baseball at 97-65.