Overview
- Hal Steinbrenner said the Yankees’ 2025 roster payroll was $319 million and argued it is not fair to assume the club turned a profit despite reports of more than $700 million in revenue.
- Mike Francesa condemned the remarks as a strategic mistake, mocked the idea of an audit by saying “donkeys will fly,” and said the Dodgers now make the Yankees look like a lower-tier operation.
- Coverage reiterated that the Dodgers’ 2025 payroll was estimated around $415 million and that the Yankees ranked third in Competitive Balance Tax payroll behind the Dodgers and Mets.
- Former outfielder Clint Frazier criticized Steinbrenner for “playing the poverty card,” pointing to valuations placing the Yankees around $8–9 billion.
- Reports noted the team’s finances sit within private Yankee Global Enterprises, which includes assets like the YES Network, Legends, NYCFC and AC Milan, and that calls for opening the books remain speculative as offseason questions follow Trent Grisham’s $22 million qualifying-offer acceptance.