ESPN reports that MLB has signed a new licensing agreement for $500 million over the 2005 to 2009 seasons. It covers everything from the official caps and jerseys to catcher's gear to T-shirts and "non-authentic" apparel.

That's $4.17 M per team per year or closer to $4.5 per team per year if MLB decides to contract two teams out of existence in 2006, which the new CBA allows them to do. This may seem a drop in the bucket when compared to the Yankees' reported $160 M team payroll, but for a team like the D-Rays, it would represent almost one quarter of their payroll. Look at it this way, it is comparable to the A's new 2-year contract extension to Scott Hatteberg that made Rob Neyer go "Hmmm?" the other day. Or better yet, $4.2 is equal to 14 league-minimum salaries (or in other words 14 Devil Rays--they have exactly 14 players at the league minimum this season).