Here’s why William Contreras never wants to play in New York

William Contreras, as we know, is one of the best catchers in Major League Baseball. He's been playing for the Brewers for four years now, and has enjoyed a lot of success with them.

In addition to being a solid hitter, he's one of the league's top catchers defensively.

At nearly 29 years old, it's worth noting that Contreras is just over a year away from becoming a free agent. He's eligible for arbitration in 2027 and will become a free agent before the start of the 2028 season.

This means we can already start wondering where he'll sign his next contract… and the man himself, apparently, already wants to rule out two teams from the running, as he insists he never wants to play in New York.

The Yankees and the Mets may have to look elsewhere, if his comments are anything to go by.

The fact that Contreras doesn't want to play in New York has nothing to do with market pressure; rather, it's linked to the state's high tax rate. The catcher doesn't want to see 52% of his salary go toward taxes.

It's safe to assume that teams in California, for the same reasons, aren't high on his list.

That said, with comments like these, Contreras seems to be closing the door on several teams that are major players in the free-agent market. If he doesn't want to play in a high-tax market, he's ruling out (among others) the Yankees, the Mets, the Dodgers, and the Angels.

Maybe it would be better for him to consider one of those offers rather than a much lower offer from a market with a more favorable tax rate, you know…

Created by humans, assisted by AI.