Average MLB Salary Sees Smallest Increase Since '04 Season

Padres Were One Of Two MLB Teams With Average Player Salary Under $1M

The average MLB salary "fell just short of $3[M] this year, with the percentage increase slowing to its lowest level since 2004," according to a MLBPA report cited by Ronald Blum of the AP. The 926 players in MLB "before rosters expanded in September averaged $2,996,000," up 2.4% from last year's average of $2.93M. The increase "had not been that small since a 2.5[%] drop" in '04. The Yankees "had by far the highest average at $7.66[M]," while the Pirates were "last at $790,000, the lowest average in the major leagues since 2006." The Padres at $959,000 were the "only other team whose players averaged less than" $1M. Blum noted MLB figures indicated that the opening-day average salary was $3.23M, but the average "usually drops during the season as veterans are released and replaced by younger players with lower salaries" (AP, 11/30).

PLAYOFF PAYOFF: MLB distributed a league record $59.07M in postseason player compensation for '09, up 15.5% from a year ago. The money, generated from 60% of the gate receipts from the first three games of each Division Series and first four games of each LCS and the World Series, is largely a function of the ballpark capacities of the participating playoff teams. This year, the deep playoff runs of the Yankees, Phillies, Dodgers and Angels -- each of which play in ballparks with capacities of more than 45,000 -- aided the earning potential of the compensation pool. Postseason ticket prices were generally held steady compared to '08. The World Series champion Yankees awarded a full playoff share of $365,052.73, a record that tops the previous mark held by the '06 Cardinals. The Yankees split their $21.27M pool into 46 full shares, 12.25 partial shares, and two cash awards. The Angels, meanwhile, awarded a full share of $138,038.51 to the estate of late P Nick Adenhart (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).