Rangers GM Jon Daniels acknowledged yesterday that the club "is 'a tick over' its salary budget as it heads into the start" of Spring Training on Feb. 22. He said the team is "more than likely" finished adding before Spring Training. In Dallas, Gerry Fraley notes the Rangers have "19 players under contract for this season at a combined salary" of $110.69M. That does "not include the annual breakdown" on RF Nelson Cruz’ new two-year, $16M deal. Last year's payroll was $92.3M, and the club "record for payroll is $105.726 million, which produced a last-place team" in '02 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/13).
CLOSING THE GAP: ESPN’s Karl Ravech noted the Yankees are "still at the top” in total payroll in MLB, but the No. 5 team "is a lot closer than ever before.” The top five projected payrolls for MLB in ’12 are Yankees ($207M), Phillies ($167M), Red Sox ($152M), Angels ($145M) and Tigers ($127M). ESPN’s Jayson Stark said as “recently as 2005, there wasn’t a single in baseball within $80 million of the Yankees in payroll” but now there are four teams “within $80 million of the Yankees.” Ravech said those teams “are spending more, but the Yankees are actually kind of coming back.” Stark: “We’re heading for a very different world in baseball where the Yankees no longer have this gigantic payroll advantage” (“Baseball Tonight,” ESPN, 2/10).
CELLAR DWELLER: In Baltimore, Kevin Cowherd writes, "What's the blueprint for getting the Orioles out of the AL East cellar and re-energizing the fan base? Who knows? Right now it seems to be: let's sign a whole bunch of new guys and worry about that other stuff later." Orioles Exec VP/Baseball Operations Dan Duquette said that the "goal for the Orioles this season is to play .500 ball." Cowherd: "They'll be lucky to do that with the level of talent on this team" (Baltimore SUN, 2/13). Meanwhile, Duquette released a statement Friday "acknowledging the club failed to adhere to protocol in their signing of 17-year-old South Korean pitcher Kim Seong-min" (Baltimore SUN, 2/11).
