TeamPayroll
1. N.Y. Yankees$209,081,579
2. Detroit138,685,197
3. New York Mets138,293,378
4. Boston133,440,037
5. Chicago White Sox121,152,667
6. Los Angeles Angels119,216,333
7. Chicago Cubs118,595,833
8. Los Angeles Dodgers118,536,038
9. Seattle117,993,982
10. Atlanta102,424,018
11. St. Louis100,624,450
12. Toronto98,641,957
13. Philadelphia98,269,881
14. Houston88,930,415
15. Milwaukee81,004,167
16. Cleveland78,970,067
17. San Francisco76,904,500
18. Cincinnati74,277,695
19. San Diego73,677,617
20. Colorado68,655,500
21. Texas68,239,551
22. Baltimore67,196,248
23. Arizona66,202,713
24. Minnesota62,182,767
25. Kansas City58,245,500
26. Washington54,961,000
27. Pittsburgh49,365,283
28. Oakland47,967,126
29. Tampa Bay43,820,598
30. Florida21,836,500

I commented on this in the Laugh Thread because initially, I didn't want to make this a topic. However, I want to focus on the gap between #1, (the Yankees) and #2, (the Tigers). There is about a $71 MILLION difference. Now take the same gap of $71 million. That includes 20 teams all the way down to Baltimore at #22. I just find that interesting because people always seem to lump the red Sox spending in with that of the Yankees. Now that the Tigers and Mets have lept over Boston, will that change perception that it is the Yankees, the Red Sox and then everyone else? My arguement was always with that perception as the Red Sox belong in the "everyone else" crowd more than they belong with the Yankees.

That argument only lasts one more year as the Yanks can easily take $64M off the books after this season ends. Giambi (22M), Moose (10M), Abreu (16M) and Pettitte (16M) all see their contracts run out after this season. The first two guys won't return. The second two depend on how they perform this year.

They might replace one of the departing contracts with Mark Teixeira, if they win the bidding war for him, and it won't be easy because Tex isn't exactly a New York City type of person. If Pettitte breaks down, as so many people (not me) think he will, they could go after Sabathia, who buys time for the 3 young starters.

Still, I think the Yanks will drop into the $170M range next season, which is reasonable. If the PA wasn't so strong, MLB could have put in a salary cap at around $175M when the last CBA was signed. But that's never going to happen in this sport.

The spending issues hurt the game in cities like Oakland, Pittsburgh and Kansas City where hometown fans give up on their team and stop buying tickets because their owners won't spend money to compete. So we see scenes like last night in Oakland where the home team is really the Red Sox.

I would like to see the cap at around $130 - $140. But it needs to work both ways. There should be a salary range where a team has to spend a minimum of say $45. I know that baseball is a business. However, it has warranted enough interest from the Congress in other areas because it is more than that to the people. I just wish there was a rule in place that stated if you want to be a MLB team owner, you must make an effort to field a competitive team. Look at Minnesota. They have one of the wealthiest owners yet are usually at the bottom in terms of spending.

Carl Pohldad is the wealthiest owner in baseball, hands down. But his team lives in Minnesota. It's difficult to get a huge fan base when many of the fans are driving three or more hours to get to the games. There are built-in advantages, in terms of population, to playing in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Boston fits into this argument because it draws from most of New England. Teams in those cities are always going to have huge revenue streams ... unless we end up in a Depression, of course.

A $140M salary cap sounds nice but it's not realistic. Baseball's economic potential has exploded over the last 20 years, thanks to cable television and other new sources of revenue. It's hard to believe that one million fans used to be a good season attendance number. There will be no salary cap. Ever.

But, in my opinion, all that would do is raise the salaries of mediocre players across baseball while doing little to improve the on field product. If a team decides they're going to spend to the floor - in this case $45m - they would be much more likely to throw an extra million here and there to the Aubrey Huff types than go hard after CC Sabathia, which would cost them exponentially more. I don't think a salary floor is a good idea at all.

The argument could only last one more year -- we'll see what they do then.



That would still put them in a league of their own, based on this year's #s. They'd be more than $30mm higher than the next club. (For sake of comparison, a $30mm range starting with #2 Detroit encompasses the next 8 clubs.)

The Yankees will always be in their own stratosphere when it comes to payroll, at least until they are sold. They have ~ $80M rolling off next year but I'd still be surprised if their payroll ends up much less than $180M or so. I have no idea who they'll spend the money on (obviously Tex will be their first target) but considering they'll be moving into the new stadium and won't have to pay the luxury tax for the next several years I can't see the payroll coming down too much.

I know the gap is obscene, but I'd rather see them spend the money on the team than keep it themselves. Hopefully one of these years they'll start spending it wisely.

Yup. I have no problem with their spending, just with the fans who try to minimize it (not referring to Jackson or this thread).

So Arod is going to make 6 million more this year than the entire Marlins team. Wow. This is fair though, considering I'm pretty sure Arod could beat the Marlins alone, playing every position.

I can appreciate that statement. When I bring up salary, it is not really a dig at the Yankee organization. It is more a dig at MLB for allowing such disparity as well as a dig at the owners that chose to pocket the money rather than to give back to the loyal fans.

I understand your point and I don't deny that it's possible, but I don't see it happening that way. Even a cheap owner knows that if the payroll is the same either way, he will generate more income with a 78 win team than with a 65 win team so he will get the best players possible for the money he spends.

I believe Johana is close to or above the Marlins with his yearly salary now.

Edit -- Once the extension kicks in.