The Dodgers will have a $230M Opening Day payroll, but they "also are paying" a net of $39M to players "no longer with the team," bringing their total to $269M, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY. The Dodgers' expenditures "easily outpace" the $213.5M payroll of the Yankees, who have the second-highest in MLB. The Dodgers have four players "earning more" than $20M this year, including P Clayton Kershaw's $31M salary, and "will pay 10 players" at least $10M -- including three who are no longer with the team. Overall, the Dodgers are paying $43.5M "to players not on their team." But with the $330M coming to them each year alone from their deal for SportsNet LA, the team "probably could have" a $400M payroll and "still turn a profit" (USA TODAY, 4/6). CNBC’s Jane Wells notes this is the second year in a row the Dodgers have the highest payroll in the league. But Dodgers President & CEO Stan Kasten said, “I don’t think that the payroll is determinative of what kind of team we have. It’s based on god people making good decisions. I love the front office that we have and I like the decisions that we’ve made, both for this year and the future. So I feel great about it” ("Squawk On The Street," CNBC, 4/6).
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'15 MLB OPENING DAY PAYROLLS
|
|
RANK
|
TEAM |
PAYROLL
|
RANK
|
TEAM |
PAYROLL
|
|
1
|
Dodgers |
$230,352,402
|
16
|
Blue Jays |
$116,415,800
|
|
2
|
Yankees |
$213,472,857
|
17
|
Royals |
$112,914,525
|
|
3
|
Nationals |
$174,510,977
|
18
|
White Sox |
$110,712,866
|
|
4
|
Tigers |
$172,792,250
|
19
|
Twins |
$108,262,000
|
|
5
|
Red Sox |
$168,691,914
|
20
|
Mets |
$100,133,953
|
|
6
|
Giants |
$166,495,942
|
21
|
Brewers |
$98,683,035
|
|
7
|
Angels |
$146,449,583
|
22
|
Rockies |
$98,261,171
|
|
8
|
Rangers |
$144,816,873
|
23
|
Braves |
$89,622,648
|
|
9
|
Phillies |
$132,705,500
|
24
|
Indians |
$87,746,766
|
|
10
|
Padres |
$126,619,628
|
25
|
Pirates |
$85,885,832
|
|
11
|
Mariners |
$123,225,842
|
26
|
Marlins |
$84,637,500
|
|
12
|
Cardinals |
$120,301,957
|
27
|
A's |
$80,786,666
|
|
13
|
Orioles |
$118,862,632
|
28
|
Rays |
$74,849,584
|
|
14
|
Reds |
$117,732,284
|
29
|
Astros |
$69,064,200
|
|
15
|
Cubs |
$117,164,522
|
30
|
D-backs |
$65,770,333
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
CLIMBING THE MONEY TREE: ESPN’s Mike Greenberg notes MLB is "awash in money," so when fans "talk about the size of payrolls and all that stuff, you have to take that with a grain of salt." Greenberg: "Everyone’s payroll is going to increase gradually or otherwise based on the fact that there’s just so much money. The Dodgers just signed a local television deal that’s worth billions of dollars. So when you say, ‘Well, it’s bad for the sport’ -- I remember they used to say it with the Yankees and now they’re going to say it with the Dodgers, but what do you want them to do with it.” ESPN’s Mike Golic said, “You have all this money. You can bathe in the money so you use it to buy some of the big-time players to come to your team to win a championship. What’s wrong with that? Obviously, what’s wrong with that is if over each of those years or every few years they keep raising ticket prices on you and then it’s the fan who has to keep paying more for parking, more for a hot dog, more for a beer and waiting in a longer line to go to the bathroom. Then maybe that part of it you can see if they’re complaining about it.” Greenberg: “The other part you would complain about is the disparity in payroll and you would say other teams don’t have a chance. But that hasn’t been the case because of revenue-sharing and luxury tax. Those have worked. That is inarguable" (
“Mike & Mike,” ESPN Radio, 4/6).
