Yankees set record payroll at $230M; Astros $27M
By RONALD BLUM, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Yankees set a record for baseball's highest opening-day payroll at $230.4 million, almost 10 times what the Houston Astros are paying their players.
In Minnesota, the payroll for the Twins was $76 million.
After all the talk of spending restraint during the offseason, the Yankees began the season Monday well ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are at $214.8 million and only the second franchise to break the $200 million barrier, according to a study of big league contracts by The Associated Press.
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Houston was last at $27.3 million, down from about $61 million opening day last year and less than the major league-leading $29 million for the Yankees' Alex Rodriguez. Houston's payroll is the lowest since the 2008 Florida Marlins were at $22 million.
Starting their first season in the American League, the Astros have lost 213 games during the past two years.
After an unsuccessful first season in their new ballpark and an offseason spent shedding stars, the Miami Marlins dropped from about $90 million to 29th at $44.7 million.
Fourteen teams topped $100 million, up from eight at the start of last season. Philadelphia was third at $160 million, followed by Boston ($157.6 million), AL champion Detroit ($150.5 million), the Los Angeles Angels ($141.9 million) and World Series champion San Francisco ($138 million).
Toronto was another team that changed its approach during the offseason, raising its payroll from $75 million to $118 million.
The average for the 856 players on active rosters and disabled lists plus the four players serving suspensions was $3.65 million, up 6.1 percent from $3.44 million at the start of last season and the steepest rise since 2008.
Million-dollar salaries rose by 15 to 463, which comes to 54 percent of players. The number of $10 million players increased from 89 to 103, and $20 million stars jumped from 14 to 21.
Just 44 players make the $490,000 minimum. The median salary, the point at which an equal number is above and below, rose by $187,500 to a record $1,262,500.
There were 102 players on disabled lists, one fewer than on opening day last year.
In the American League Central division, where the Twins reside, its $76 million payroll was at the bottom of the heap among the Detroit Tigers at $150.4 million; the Chicago White Sox, $123.5 million; the Cleveland Indians, $82.5 million; and the Kansas City Royals, $80.9 million.
2013 baseball salaries -- Minnesota Twins
Joe Mauer: $23,000,000
Justin Morneau: $15,000,000
Josh Willingham: $7,000,000
Kevin Correia: $4,500,000
Mike Pelfrey: $4,000,000
Jamey Carroll: $3,750,000
Ryan Doumit: $3,500,000
Glen Perkins: $2,500,000
Jared Burton: $2,050,000
Brian Duensing: $1,300,000
dl-Tim Wood: $675,000
dl-Scott Diamond: $530,000
Vance Worley: $525,000
Trevor Plouffe: $520,000
Josh Roenicke: $505,000
dl-Anthony Swarzak: $502,500
Cole DeVries: $500,000
Casey Fien: $500,000
Darin Mastroianni: $500,000
Brian Dozier: $497,500
Chris Parmelee: $497,500
Eduardo Escobar: $495,000
Pedro Florimon: $495,000
Liam Hendriks: $495,000
Tyler Robertson: $495,000
Aaron Hicks: $490,000
Ryan Pressly: $490,000
Wilkin Ramirez: $490,000
