Steinbrenner open to exceeding luxury tax amid Yankees' struggles
The New York Yankees are struggling, but reinforcements might be on their way.
Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner said Thursday he is far from opposed to exceeding MLB's luxury-tax threshold to help his ailing club, according to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic.
"I would absolutely consider - if a piece comes up that I think is a good piece and baseball ops thinks is a good piece and something we should do - I would absolutely consider it," he said.
The Yankees - one of the world's richest sports franchises and the most valuable in MLB - had a surprisingly quiet offseason, opting to re-sign DJ LeMahieu on a six-year, $90-million contract while adding Jameson Taillon and Corey Kluber to the rotation at low cost. But LeMahieu has regressed, Taillon is enduring a rough season, and Kluber is out until at least August with a shoulder strain.
New York currently boasts the second-highest payroll in baseball at $201 million - $48 million lower than the top-ranked Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Spotrac. MLB's competitive balance tax for 2021 kicks in at $210 million with increased surcharges at the $230-million and $250-million thresholds.
Despite their high payroll, the Yankees sit fourth in the AL East at 41-39 with a minus-2 run differential. They are 8 1/2 games back of the division-leading Boston Red Sox.