Payroll: Just thinking for 09

Payroll has been a concern this offseason as Cashman was said to want a lower payroll this year than last. Let's look at the 2009 payroll. We're not going to worry about 2010 or any future seasons here, just 2009. I got the contract info from Cot's. We'll do just salary first.

C Jorge Posada $13.1mm
1B Nick Swisher $5.3mm
2B Robinson Cano $6mm
3B Alex Rodriguez $32mm
SS Derek Jeter $20mm
LF Johnny Damon $13mm
CF Melky Cabrera $0.5mm
RF Xavier Nady $5mm (That's an estimate. Nady is arbitration eligible.)
DH Hideki Matsui $13mm

Backup C Jose Molina $1mm
Backup 1B Juan Miranda $0.4mm
Backup IF Cody Ransom $0.5mm


SP1 CC Sabathia $14mm
SP2 AJ Burnett $16.5mm
SP3 Chien Ming Wang $5mm (That's an estimate. Wang is arbitration eligible.)
SP4 Phil Hughes $0.5mm
SP5 Joba Chamberlain $0.4mm
CL Mariano Rivera $15mm
SU Damaso Marte $3.75mm
SU Brian Bruney $2mm (That's an estimate. Bruney is arbitration eligible.)
MRP Jonathan Albadejo $0.4mm
LRP Dan Giese $0.5mm

Minor Leaguers

Shelley Duncan $0.4mm
Ian Kennedy $0.4mm
Andrew Brackman $1-2mm
Kei Igawa $4mm

Other Players didn't have financial numbers available at Cot's.

So that adds up to....about $174mm committed for 2009.

However, the Yanks must also pay signing bonus installments for Rodriguez ($1mm), and Sabathia ($27mm, paid in $3mm (this post originally said $9mm, but a reader, Andrew, alerted us in the comments that it is in fact $3mm) installments on New Year's Eve, March 1st, and July 31st). That's another $10mm. So the Yanks will be playing their current players $184mm in 2009 ( and 12/31/08 when CC gets $3mm).

The Yankee payroll in 2008 was about $209mm.

The Yanks wanted to cut payroll down to around the $180mm mark. However, if they decide to go all the way to last year's payroll, then they have $25mm to play with. The Yanks could sign Andy Pettitte ($10mm), Manny Ramirez ($20-25mm), Adam Dunn ($13-18mm) or Mark Teixeira ($18-25mm). The Yanks also could end up with Mike Cameron's $10mm salary if they end up trading for him.

Obviously payroll is important. And long term thinking is important as well. Yet, I really want to see the Yanks win the World Series in their first year at the new Cathedral. I would love to watch a powerhouse lineup head straight to a World Series victory, but I also don't want to have to deal with the repercussions that we will have for signing players long term. Cashman needs to balance a win-now strategy with a planning for the future strategy. The GM's who can do that are the ones who are very successful. We'll see what he comes up with this winter.