It's clearly due to Bagwell's $$$$$$$ either 17 or 19 mil. Clemens is 12 mil, Pettitte's contract is backloaded so this year he is 10 mil+. We'll have room to do somethings next year with some of these salaries coming off. The future looks pretty bright for this team, IMO we need to get Oswalt extended for 7 or 8 yrs to be the ace of a bright looking staff in the future Oswalt Bucholz Hirsh Backe Patton Berkman Burke Ensberg Huff Willy T Hunter Pence Lidge Qualls Wheeler This team has a lot of pieces in place to be good for a long time.
Here were the salaries to start the year: Code: <table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=1 class="tablehead"> <tr align=top class="colhead"><td>PLAYER</td><td align=right>SALARY (US$)</td><tr class=oddrow><td>1. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4626">Jeff Bagwell</a></td><td align=right>19,369,019</td></tr> <tr class=evenrow><td>2. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5331">Andy Pettitte</a></td> <td align=right>16,428,416</td></tr><tr class=oddrow><td>3. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6279">Lance Berkman</a></td> <td align=right>14,500,000</td></tr> <tr class=evenrow><td>4. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6646">Roy Oswalt</a></td><td align=right>11,000,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>5. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4217">Craig Biggio</a></td><td align=right>4,000,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>6. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5994">Preston Wilson</a></td><td align=right>4,000,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>7. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6913">Brad Lidge</a></td><td align=right>3,975,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>8. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5095">Brad Ausmus</a></td><td align=right>3,857,068</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>9. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6604">Morgan Ensberg</a></td><td align=right>3,800,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>10. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6389">Adam Everett</a></td><td align=right>1,900,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>11. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6390">Mike Lamb</a></td><td align=right>1,700,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>12. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5705">Trever Miller</a></td><td align=right>1,300,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>13. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5441">Orlando Palmeiro</a></td><td align=right>950,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>14. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6331">Dan Wheeler</a></td><td align=right>930,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>15. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=4828">Russ Springer</a></td><td align=right>750,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>16. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6965">Brandon Backe</a></td><td align=right>442,500</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>17. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7269">Willy Taveras</a></td><td align=right>400,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>18. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7381">Chad Qualls</a></td><td align=right>376,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>19. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7166">Eric Bruntlett</a></td><td align=right>365,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>20. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7057">Chris Burke</a></td><td align=right>362,500</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>21. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=6407">Eric Munson</a></td><td align=right>350,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>22. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7517">Taylor Buchholz</a></td><td align=right>327,000</td></tr><tr class=oddrow> <td>23. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7552">Wandy Rodriguez</a></td><td align=right>327,000</td></tr><tr class=evenrow> <td>24. <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=7714">Fernando Nieve</a></td><td align=right>327,000</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Total Team Salary: </strong></td><td align=right><strong>92,101,503</strong></td></tr></table> Since then we've added Clemens at a prorated $22 million contract and Huff's $1.4 million. You've got to give Drayton credit, payroll's up around $106 million.
I can't really begrudge Bags the money...as much as I would like to. Jeff Bagwell has been the heart and soul of the franchise since 1991, gave 100% all the time, played w/ no cartilige in his shoulder for a 3-4 year time period and never griped or complained. It's just that his deal was quite backloaded, and I don't think either side ever expected to see the last year of his contract. I think that Drayton can eat $17 million dollars when compared to the roughly $50 million dollar value Bagwell added to the team's overall value for years.
thanks! i think finding another starter and a bat in the offseason aswell as Resigning Roy should be are top 3 goals!
we dont have the 3rd highest payroll. maybe in the nl we do (not quite sure), but the top 4 payrolls are all AL teams
http://www.onestopbaseball.com/TeamPayroll.asp 1 New York Yankees $194,663,079 2 Boston Red Sox $120,099,824 3 Los Angeles Angels $103,472,000 4 Chicago White Sox $102,750,667 5 New York Mets $101,084,963 6 Los Angeles Dodgers $98,447,187 7 Chicago Cubs $94,424,499 8 Houston Astros $92,551,503 9 Atlanta Braves $90,156,876 10 San Francisco Giants $90,056,419 So yes, we have surpassed LAA and are now the third hghest.
Thats without Clemens and Huff. We have the 3rd highest payroll in baseball. EDIT Nevermind, I didnt see your comment at the bottom. You're right.
Uncle Drayton is swinging for the fences this season. WOW he shut alot of people up by proving he can dish out the doe if he has to.
