Yankees lowering payroll would be 'ideal,' Hal Steinbrenner says - ESPN

Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner claimed it was too early in the offseason to determine his team's payroll range for the 2026 season, but he'd prefer that the number drop from the $319 million he said New York spent on players in 2025.

«Would it be ideal if I went down [with the payroll]? Of course,» Steinbrenner said Monday on a video call with reporters. «But does that mean that's going to happen? Of course not. We want to field a team we know could win a championship — or we believe could win a championship.»

The Yankees haven't fielded a championship team for 16 straight seasons, a skid extended this year when they were eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.

Steinbrenner stressed the disappointing result was not on manager Aaron Boone, whom he labeled a «good manager at many of the things he has to do,» but on the players for not performing in October. He lamented New York's midseason struggles — a pattern in recent years — that ultimately cost the Yankees the AL East title, a bye to the ALDS, and homefield advantage against the Blue Jays.

Steinbrenner noted mental mistakes, particularly baserunning blunders, were a problem and led to first-base coach Travis Chapman's dismissal. He also challenged the notion that the Yankees made a profit in 2025, suggesting that they lost money after Forbes reported the franchise generated over $700 million in revenue this year.

«I don't want to get into it, but that's not a fair statement or an accurate statement,» Steinbrenner said. «Everybody wants to talk about revenues. They need to talk about our expenses, including the $100 million expense to the city of New York that we have to pay every Feb. 1, including the COVID year. It all starts to