Baseball Toaster Mike's Baseball Rants
Help
This is my site with my opinions, but I hope that, like Irish Spring, you like it, too.
Frozen Toast
Search
Google Search
Web
Toaster
Mike's Baseball Rants
Archives

2009
01 

2008
10  09  07 
06  05  04  03 

2007
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2006
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2005
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2004
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2003
12  11  10  09  08  07 
06  05  04  03  02  01 

2002
12  11  10  09  08  07 
Links to MBBR
Marlins' Gutting Almost Complete
2006-01-17 22:27
by Mike Carminati

Dontrelle Willis signed today for $4.35 M, the most for a pitcher in the first year of arbitration eligibility. Sound impressive, right?

Well, when you consider that the Marlins will still lop off over 70% of their salary even with the four-million-dollar raise to the Cy Young runner-up. I have been keeping a running total of the Marlins fiscal frugality this offseason, and the change has been historic.

Here is the current set off players with a few recent free agents added to the end. It looks like the Fish That Saved Pittsburgh's roster:

Player2005 Salary2006 status2006 Salary
Mike Lowell$7,500,000 Traded to Red Sox
Al Leiter$7,000,000 No longer with team
Luis Castillo$5,166,667 Traded to Twins
Paul Lo Duca$4,666,667 Traded to Mets
Juan Encarnacion$4,435,000 Free Agent
Carlos Delgado$4,000,000 Traded to Mets
Juan Pierre$3,700,000 Traded To Cubs
A.J. Burnett$3,650,000 FA;signed with Blue Jays
Alex Gonzalez$3,400,000 Free Agent
Jeff Conine$3,000,000 Free Agent
Guillermo Mota$2,600,000 Traded to Red Sox
Josh Beckett$2,400,000 Traded to Red Sox
Ismael Valdez$1,500,000 Free Agent
Todd Jones$1,100,000 FA; signed with Tigers
Jim Mecir$1,100,000 Free Agent
Damion Easley$750,000 FA; signed with D-Backs
John Riedling$750,000 FA, signed with Cards
Matt Perisho$475,000 No longer with team
Lenny Harris$425,000 FA;re-signed to minor-league contract
Brian Moehler$400,000 Free Agent; re-signed; SP$1,500,000
Dontrelle Willis$378,500 SP$4,350,000
Miguel Cabrera$370,000 Starting 3B (RF?)$3,000,000
Nate Bump$360,000 RP$500,000
Chris Aguila$316,000 Starting LF$320,000
Matt Treanor$316,000 Backup C$320,000
Antonio Alfonseca$300,000 Free Agent, option declined
Mike Mordecai$425,000 Free Agent
Paul Quantrill$3,000,000 Free Agent
Jason Vargas?SP$320,000
Randy Messenger ?RP$320,000
Ron Villone $1,950,000 Traded to Yankees
Valerio de los Santos?RP$320,000
Scott Olsen?SP$320,000
Chris Resop?RP$320,000
Josh Johnson ?SP$320,000
Robert Andino?UT INF$320,000
Jeremy Hermida?Starting RF?$320,000
Joe Dillon ?New 2B or UT?$320,000
Josh Willingham ?Starting C/LF?$320,000
Josh Wilson ?New 2B?$320,000
Ryan Jorgensen ?Backup C?$320,000
Alfredo Amezaga$0 New 3B?$320,000
Mike Jacobs$0 Starting 1B (C?)$320,000
Eric ReedStarting CF?$320,000
Hanley Ramirez$0 Starting SS$320,000
Sergio Mitre$0 SP$350,000
Alfredo AmezagaUT INF$340,000
Miguel OlivoC$400,000
Joe Borowski CL$1,000,000
Pokey ReeseStarting 2B$800,000
Wes Helms 1B/3B$800,000
Total$60,058,834 $ 18,800,000
Mordecai is based on 200428
Quantrill's 2005 contract was with the Yankees
Villone's 2005 salary was paid by the Mariners
Olivo's salary based on 2005 salary
Borowski's salary was estimated
Salary Lost$61,343,334
Possible Payroll $ 17,840,000
Decrease $ 42,218,834 -71%
Lowest possible (all lg min) 8,000,000

The Marlins appear to be a lock to be the first team since 2000 with a payroll under $20 M. Here are the only teams since 1995 to do so:
YrTeam Payroll
1998Montreal Expos $ 10,641,500
1997Pittsburgh Pirates $ 10,771,667
1995Montreal Expos $ 12,364,000
1998Pittsburgh Pirates $ 15,065,000
1996Montreal Expos $ 16,264,500
2000Minnesota Twins $ 16,519,500
1997Detroit Tigers $ 17,272,000
1995Milwaukee Brewers $ 17,798,825
1999Montreal Expos $ 17,903,000
1995Pittsburgh Pirates $ 18,355,345
1997Montreal Expos $ 19,295,500
2003Tampa Bay Devil Rays $ 19,630,000
2000Florida Marlins $ 19,872,000

I expect Willis to be the highest paid Marlin. If so, again this will be the first time since 2000 that a team's salary leader was under $4.5 M. Here are the lowest since 1995:

YrTeam Top Salary
1998Montreal Expos $ 2,000,000
1997Pittsburgh Pirates $ 2,266,667
1998Detroit Tigers $ 2,425,000
1998Pittsburgh Pirates $ 2,600,000
1999Pittsburgh Pirates $ 2,700,000
1995Montreal Expos $ 3,000,000
1999Montreal Expos $ 3,000,000
1996Montreal Expos $ 3,050,000
2000Minnesota Twins $ 3,500,000
1997Montreal Expos $ 3,615,000
1996New York Mets $ 3,725,000
1997Anaheim Angels $ 4,000,000
2000Kansas City Royals $ 4,000,000
1996St. Louis Cardinals $ 4,100,000
2000Montreal Expos $ 4,125,000
1998Minnesota Twins $ 4,250,000
1996San Diego Padres $ 4,300,000
1999Minnesota Twins $ 4,300,000
1995Chicago Cubs $ 4,400,000
1995Pittsburgh Pirates $ 4,400,000
1995St. Louis Cardinals $ 4,525,000
1995Cleveland Indians $ 4,550,000
1997San Diego Padres $ 4,575,000
1995San Diego Padres $ 4,658,334
1996Pittsburgh Pirates $ 4,700,000
1996Chicago Cubs $ 4,750,000
1995Kansas City Royals $ 4,800,000
1996Los Angeles Dodgers $ 4,800,000
1999Kansas City Royals $ 4,800,000
1997St. Louis Cardinals $ 4,850,000
1995Milwaukee Brewers $ 4,875,000
2006Tampa Bay Devil Rays $ 4,916,667
Comments
2006-01-18 14:16:28
1.   Dave M
Mike,
I read somewhere that the min salary will be $327K next year. You may wish to confirm and revise your chart. It should increase the team salary by $112K if I did the math right.

Comment status: comments have been closed. Baseball Toaster is now out of business.