![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBFN-TywMO9oQrPoGYbOb2U1HMoi6ZUsZWMSoxah0v6ZsyF1ly3yzF_FVYOLHjP00XCU_QIplzyVCUc8Y827opOgj1_bC04T4UBqYUwo_-sK3z0kJGs8Hwp1-0XHt9-j9vI3DoQAVGKbG/s400/screenshot_4856.png) |
(MassLive.com) |
According to an analysis by
Christopher Smith of
MassLive.com,
the Red Sox are destined to go over the $197 million MLB Luxury Tax threshold in 2018—even
without signing
J.D. Martinez. The total payroll this year should easily go over $200 million. Starting pitcher salaries
alone are estimated at $76.1 million (
David Price by himself gets $30 million). Relief pitchers will be paid about $20.56 million. Infielder payroll will be $70.525 million, while catchers come away relatively cheap at a total of $3.375 million. Outfielders chime in at somewhere between $13.6 -$16.6 million (depending on the
Mookie Betts arbitration ruling). All in all, with various associated expenses, the payroll will bust through the Major League Baseball tax threshold.