Fox News Flash top sports headlines for December 23
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It's time for the New York Mets to pay up.
Going for it all, the Mets splurged for an all-time record payroll of over $343 million last season after 101 wins the year prior.
But they won just 75 games and missed the postseason.
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New York Mets owner Steve Cohen speaks at a press conference before a game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field June 28, 2023, in New York City. (Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images)
Their losing prompted the Mets to unload Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Mark Canha, Eduardo Escobar, Mark Canha and others at the trade deadline for prospects.
The Mets still wound up with a luxury tax penalty close to $101 million, according to The Associated Press.
It is, by far, the steepest tax penalty a team has ever paid, more than doubling the 2015 Los Angeles Dodgers' $43.6 million.
Seven other teams are paying extra for surpassing certain thresholds.
New York Mets owner Steve Cohen speaks to the crowd during the Tom Seaver statue dedication at Citi Field April 15, 2022, in Flushing, N.Y. (Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
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The Mets' penalty is high because of their sky-high payroll. In MLB's most recent collective bargaining discussions, another threshold, dubbed the "Steve Cohen tax," was put in place for teams spending over $293 million.
It was put in place so the Mets owner, easily the wealthiest owner in baseball, wouldn't have that much of an unfair advantage. Only the Yankees and Mets surpassed that threshold. The Mets also paid a luxury after the 2022 season, increasing the amount it had to pay this year.
Mr. Met during a game against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field Oct. 8, 2022, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Eight teams were charged a luxury tax for the 2023 season. That was the most ever in the league, surpassing the six teams charged the tax from 2016 and 2022.
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