New York Mets own MLB’s top opening-day payroll at about 323.1 million, with Los Angeles Dodgers close behind thanks to Shohei Ohtani’s deferred 700 million deal that trims about 68 million this year. The list runs down to Miami at roughly 67.4 million, illustrating the sport’s payroll spectrum and how front-office strategies hinge on present-day contract structures as teams anchor rosters for 2025.