Average salary grows to nearly $3m
The Associated Press yesterday released a complete list of the 30 teams' payrolls yesterday. Some snippets:
Baseball's average salary is $2.87 million, up 8.9 percent from $2.63 million last season. That's the highest percent increase since 2001, when salaries climbed by 13.9 percent. The offseason between 2000 and 2001 was the winter Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramírez signed deals for a combined $412 million.
The Yankees slipped below $200 million, to $198.7 million, and will be the only team to pay the payroll tax this year; the threshold is $136.5 million, at 40 cents on the dollar. The payroll for the 25 players on the Red Sox' active roster and two players on the disabled list, according to the AP, is $120.1 million, second highest in baseball, followed by the Angels ($103.6 million), White Sox ($102.9 million), and Mets ($100.9 million).
However, the AP's list prorates signing bonuses over the life of contracts, even if they were paid up front, as in the case of Trot Nixon. And the AP's list uses the present value of a player's contract, if he has money deferred. That's why Ramirez's $19 million salary is $18.3 million, according to the AP. Including only those signing bonuses being paid this year, and not devaluing deals that include deferred money, the Sox' payroll for its 25 active players and the two players on the DL is $120.9 million.
The Marlins rank last, at $14,998,500. There are 12 major league players, including Chan Ho Park (12-8, 5.76 ERA in '05), making more than the Marlins as a whole. The Yankees could trade Gary Sheffield and still have a payroll greater than those of Florida, Tampa Bay, Colorado, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City combined.
Of the 813 players on Opening Day rosters or the DL, 409 are scheduled to make at least $1 million. Of those, 61 are scheduled to make $10 million or more. Four players are scheduled to make $20 million or more: Barry Bonds ($20 million), Jason Giambi ($20.4 million), Derek Jeter ($20.6 million), and Rodriguez ($25.7 million).
