Baseball Toaster was unplugged on February 4, 2009.
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:
| Player | 2005 Salary | 2006 status | 2006 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 Reed | Starting CF? | $320,000 | |
| Hanley Ramirez | $0 | Starting SS | $320,000 |
| Sergio Mitre | $0 | SP | $350,000 |
| Alfredo Amezaga | UT INF | $340,000 | |
| Miguel Olivo | C | $400,000 | |
| Joe Borowski | CL | $1,000,000 | |
| Pokey Reese | Starting 2B | $800,000 | |
| Wes Helms | 1B/3B | $800,000 | |
| Total | $60,058,834 | $ 18,800,000 | |
| Mordecai is based on 2004 | 28 | ||
| 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:
| Yr | Team | Payroll |
| 1998 | Montreal Expos | $ 10,641,500 |
| 1997 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 10,771,667 |
| 1995 | Montreal Expos | $ 12,364,000 |
| 1998 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 15,065,000 |
| 1996 | Montreal Expos | $ 16,264,500 |
| 2000 | Minnesota Twins | $ 16,519,500 |
| 1997 | Detroit Tigers | $ 17,272,000 |
| 1995 | Milwaukee Brewers | $ 17,798,825 |
| 1999 | Montreal Expos | $ 17,903,000 |
| 1995 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 18,355,345 |
| 1997 | Montreal Expos | $ 19,295,500 |
| 2003 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | $ 19,630,000 |
| 2000 | Florida 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:
| Yr | Team | Top Salary |
| 1998 | Montreal Expos | $ 2,000,000 |
| 1997 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 2,266,667 |
| 1998 | Detroit Tigers | $ 2,425,000 |
| 1998 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 2,600,000 |
| 1999 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 2,700,000 |
| 1995 | Montreal Expos | $ 3,000,000 |
| 1999 | Montreal Expos | $ 3,000,000 |
| 1996 | Montreal Expos | $ 3,050,000 |
| 2000 | Minnesota Twins | $ 3,500,000 |
| 1997 | Montreal Expos | $ 3,615,000 |
| 1996 | New York Mets | $ 3,725,000 |
| 1997 | Anaheim Angels | $ 4,000,000 |
| 2000 | Kansas City Royals | $ 4,000,000 |
| 1996 | St. Louis Cardinals | $ 4,100,000 |
| 2000 | Montreal Expos | $ 4,125,000 |
| 1998 | Minnesota Twins | $ 4,250,000 |
| 1996 | San Diego Padres | $ 4,300,000 |
| 1999 | Minnesota Twins | $ 4,300,000 |
| 1995 | Chicago Cubs | $ 4,400,000 |
| 1995 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 4,400,000 |
| 1995 | St. Louis Cardinals | $ 4,525,000 |
| 1995 | Cleveland Indians | $ 4,550,000 |
| 1997 | San Diego Padres | $ 4,575,000 |
| 1995 | San Diego Padres | $ 4,658,334 |
| 1996 | Pittsburgh Pirates | $ 4,700,000 |
| 1996 | Chicago Cubs | $ 4,750,000 |
| 1995 | Kansas City Royals | $ 4,800,000 |
| 1996 | Los Angeles Dodgers | $ 4,800,000 |
| 1999 | Kansas City Royals | $ 4,800,000 |
| 1997 | St. Louis Cardinals | $ 4,850,000 |
| 1995 | Milwaukee Brewers | $ 4,875,000 |
| 2006 | Tampa Bay Devil Rays | $ 4,916,667 |
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.
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