An updated projection of the 2026 payroll before Opening Day
With just four days remaining until Opening Day, how has the payroll come together?
Matt Arnold, Milwaukee Brewers president of baseball operations and general manager, listens as principal owner Mark Attanasio speaks with reporters Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Opening Day is just four days away. Though the roster is not completely set, we are close enough to the start of the regular season that we can get an idea of what the payroll will be.
Since the last projection in January, there have been several changes. Let’s take a look at the updated payroll projection. Here are some reminders for the projection.
These numbers are from Cot’s Baseball Contracts and Spotrac , which have estimated payroll numbers for all MLB teams. Per the CBA, the minimum salary for players in 2026 is $780,000. Any pre-arbitration player has this salary listed by default.
These salaries can be slightly different for each player, but not by a significant amount. Since we are a few days away from the start of the regular season, this is based on the current projected Opening Day roster. Any changes to the payroll should be small.
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