MLB Franchise Notes

D’Backs Pulling Back Spending From Early Days Of Moorad’s (l) Tenure

D’Backs Managing General Partner Ken Kendrick said that the team was left with $270M in deferred contracts “from the spending spree that netted years of debt but also a World Series title” under former Chair & CEO Jerry Colangelo. USA TODAY’s Greg Boeck writes the new regime’s “early spending on free agents ... didn’t help the bottom line, either.” The team’s debt has been reduced to $100M but “has forced a halt to pricey free agents, resulting in a $52[M] payroll that ranks in the bottom third” of the league. Former D’Backs 1B Mark Grace, currently a D’Backs TV analyst, said of the spending, “Was it worth it? To me, damn right. To Jerry, damn right. But when it comes to pay the piper, the banks will probably say ‘damn no’” (USA TODAY, 4/18).

MARKET PRICE: ESPN’s John Kruk noted the Marlins’ seven starting position players excluding 3B Miguel Cabrera are making just over $4M collectively, which is less than both the Phillies’ and Mets’ benches. Kruk: “That to me is amazing and you wonder how this team can compete. But they do it because they’re young and they’re very talented.” ESPN’s Steve Phillips said at some point the players “are going to make some money, but (the Marlins) are getting a pretty good share of money from luxury tax and revenue-sharing” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 4/16).

KEEP OUT: In Denver, Mark Kiszla wrote to Rockies fans, “Let’s make franchise ownership a deal it cannot refuse. I won’t attend another Rockies game until Charlie and Dick Monfort sell the team, if all of you do the same. ... The Monfort brothers cannot handle the truth. They don’t know anything about baseball. Anybody who did would not have given [GM] Dan O’Dowd and [manager Clint] Hurdle contract extensions” (DENVER POST, 4/17).