What is the Philadelphia Phillies payroll this year?

The Philadelphia Phillies are big spenders in the current MLB landscape. In a competitive window that looks to have at least a couple of years left with this veteran core, they haven't been afraid to spend big money on players they think matter.

Just look at this past offseason, with the re-signing of Aaron Nola to his seven-year, $172 million contract. That was bookended during spring training when the front office extended unquestioned ace Zack Wheeler to a three-year, $126 million contract. One offseason earlier, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and company shelled out big bucks for Trea Turner.

Even so, Phillies brass was hesitant to back up a truck full of money for free agents this offseason, save for Japanese star Yoshinobu Yamamoto (subscription required), as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber. Aside from that lucrative offering, nobody else seemed worthy of an expensive deal in the Phillies' eyes.

Philadelphia Phillies payroll 2024

According to Spotrac, the Phillies' active payroll is $245,152,353 — the fourth highest in MLB. Their Estimated Luxury Tax Payroll is $260,673,506 and includes all current allocations, including injured players and sunk-cost commitments.

It's hard to blame ownership for being careful with spending when you see those massive figures. Although there's reason to believe more spending is on the way this summer. According to Lauber, the Phillies opted to wait this offseason and see what they could spend money on at the trade deadline.

“What Dave decided we’d do — and I agree with him — is save the powder,” managing partner John Middleton said, per Lauber. “He said, ‘If you don’t spend it now, you could always spend it in July and maybe make a better, more aggressive trade, and you’ve got the money to pay for it.”

What is the Luxury Tax Threshold in MLB?

MLB's Luxury Tax, officially called the Competitive Balance Tax, is set at $237 million this season. The more years a team spends over the threshold, the more they pay. The higher the amount they spend over the threshold, the higher the penalties.

The first year a team goes over the threshold, as the Phillies first did in 2022 (subscription required) per The Athletic's Matt Gelb, they pay a 20 percent tax. The rate goes up to 30 percent in the second year and 50 percent in the third year.

The Phillies look like they'll be over the tax threshold again in 2025 ($241 million) and likely in 2026 ($244 million).

Who are the most expensive Philadelphia Phillies contracts in 2024?

The Phillies have a stable of expensive contracts on the books right now. That's what happens when you build a World Series contender with veteran stars. They have seven players earning over $20 million in 2024.

Unsurprisingly, Bryce Harper has the highest salary at $27,538,462 (11.23 percent of the team's payroll), although the number that counts toward the luxury tax is lower, at $25,384,615. We can all agree that this is money well spent.

Trea Turner ($27,272,727), Aaron Nola ($24,571,428), J.T. Realmuto ($23,875,000), Zack Wheeler ($23,500,000), Nick Castellanos ($20,000,000) and Kyle Schwarber ($20,000,000) round out the other top earners.

We'll just have to wait and see if the Phillies add any more to their 2024 payroll closer to the trade deadline.