Red Sox 2013 Payroll Tracker

[Bellhorn04]

Red Sox 2013 payroll numbers per Alex Speier of WEEI (who is one of the very few baseball writers who seems to understand how many people like to know these numbers)

 

These are the luxury tax numbers-the AAV numbers. The luxury tax threshold for 2013 is 178 million.

 

Guaranteed deals

John Lackey, $16.5 million

David Ortiz, $13 million

Mike Napoli, $13 million

Shane Victorino, $13 million

Clay Buchholz, $7.4 million

Dustin Pedroia, $6.80 million

Jon Lester, $6 million

Jonny Gomes, $5 million

David Ross, $3.1 million

Jose Iglesias, $2.1 million

TOTAL GUARANTEED: APPROX $86 MILLION

 

Arbitration eligible

Jacoby Ellsbury

Jarrod Saltalamacchia

Andrew Bailey

Alfredo Aceves

Craig Breslow

Andrew Miller

Daniel Bard

Franklin Morales

PROJECTED TOTAL: APPROXIMATELY $30 MILLION-$35 MILLION

 

Pre-arbitration eligible

Junichi Tazawa

Mark Melancon

Felix Doubront

Ryan Kalish

Daniel Nava

Will Middlebrooks

Clayton Mortensen

Pedro Ciriaco

PROJECTED TOTAL: APPROXIMATELY $5 MILLION

 

Additional expenses

Medical, 40-man roster, etc.

APPROXIMATELY $12 MILLION

 

ESTIMATED 2013 TOTAL COMMITMENTS: $138 MILLION

 

So we are about 40 million under the threshold. If they were to sign Dempster for 13 million that would leave about 27 million of room left.

[Bellhorn04]

The threshold for 2014, 2015 and 2016 is 189 million.

[Station 13]

Unless they sign some 20M contract, they won't be hitting 189M for a while. Lackey, Ortiz are off the books after '14.

[Bellhorn04]

Unless they sign some 20M contract, they won't be hitting 189M for a while. Lackey, Ortiz are off the books after '14.

 

Right. They actually have an option on Lackey for 2015 which is at MLB minimum salary.

[mvp 78]

A whole lot of nuthin'. Yuck.

[Bellhorn04]

A whole lot of nuthin'. Yuck.

[Palodios]

You also need to factor in the 3.9 million to account for the megatrade, since they owe the Dodgers 12 million.

[example1]

Payroll is all good as far as I'm concerned. They have the makings of a team that could eek into the playoffs if they get great seasons from some guys. If, however, they end up being more average then they will be in a similar position payroll-wise in two years to where they are now, except they should have a lot more young talent on the team to build around.

[jacksonianmarch]

Right. They actually have an option on Lackey for 2015 which is at MLB minimum salary.

 

The option is already being factored in. Lackey's AAV is currently below $16 mil

[Bellhorn04]

The option is already being factored in. Lackey's AAV is currently below $16 mil

 

You're going to have to back that one up, because Speier doesn't factor it in and I read somewhere else that it's not factored in. The reason being that it's a team option and there's no guarantee that it will be exercised. If Lackey sustains a career-ending injury they're not going to exercise it.

[Palodios]

You're going to have to back that one up, because Speier doesn't factor it in and I read somewhere else that it's not factored in. The reason being that it's a team option and there's no guarantee that it will be exercised. If Lackey sustains a career-ending injury they're not going to exercise it.

 

I don't remember the exact math, but I think that if the Red Sox had exercised it last year, the money they would have saved from luxury tax would been greater than the major league minimum salary Lackey would make in 2015.

[Palodios]

Woah! The Red Sox made it under the luxury tax last year by just a few thousand bux. It makes me appreciate the mega-trade even more, very surprised they got it down below.

 

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21247466/sox-went-under-luxury-tax-threshold-12

[BSN07]

Woah! The Red Sox made it under the luxury tax last year by just a few thousand bux. It makes me appreciate the mega-trade even more, very surprised they got it down below.

 

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/21247466/sox-went-under-luxury-tax-threshold-12

 

So what are the benefits of getting under the LT earlier then expected? Does that mean their LT penalty thingamabob has already been reset?

[Palodios]

So what are the benefits of getting under the LT earlier then expected? Does that mean their LT penalty thingamabob has already been reset?

 

Some of the rules may have changed, but the way it worked last year was that if they are beneath the luxury tax for two years straight, the tax is reset from 40% back down to 22.5%.

[Bellhorn04]

You also need to factor in the 3.9 million to account for the megatrade, since they owe the Dodgers 12 million.

 

Good catch there, Pal. I e-mailed Speier about this. He didn't reply to my e-mail but in his newly updated figures he added in '3.9 million Dodger subsidy'.

[SoxSport]

Red Sox 2013 payroll numbers per Alex Speier of WEEI (who is one of the very few baseball writers who seems to understand how many people like to know these numbers)

 

These are the luxury tax numbers-the AAV numbers. The luxury tax threshold for 2013 is 178 million.

 

ESTIMATED 2013 TOTAL COMMITMENTS: $138 MILLION

 

So we are about 40 million under the threshold. If they were to sign Dempster for 13 million that would leave about 27 million of room left.

 

At $165 million? now with Drew, Uehara and Dempster. They are one of the most expensive teams in baseball, and still don't look like they can make the playoffs. Their approach seems to make no sense. They stockpile prospects, and then block them with expensive free agents. Drew, Napoli, Victorino and Dempster are a complete waste of money. They are better off gambling with the prospects, like the Rays do.

[Bellhorn04]

At $165 million? now with Drew, Uehara and Dempster. They are one of the most expensive teams in baseball, and still don't look like they can make the playoffs. Their approach seems to make no sense. They stockpile prospects, and then block them with expensive free agents. Drew, Napoli, Victorino and Dempster are a complete waste of money. They are better off gambling with the prospects, like the Rays do.

 

The Rays are the Rays. They do what they do out of necessity because of their low revenues and payroll. Friedman has done a great job, no question. The main thing that has kept them successful is the high number of good pitchers they have drafted. Not too many good position players.

 

If the Rays model was that easy to duplicate many teams would be doing it.

[dupree]

2013 cap is set at $189million correct? Or is it $178million

[jung]

I just checked again myself. Assuming the site I checked has the correct info, the Cap for 2013 is $178m and then moves up again in 2014.

[jacksonianmarch]

It's $189 million in 2014

[Palodios]

The Red Sox have given themselves a considerable amount of flexibility for the upcoming years.

 

Next year, they lose about 30 million in payroll between Salty, Ellsbury, Drew, and Iglesias's 2 million dollar signing bonus. Lester also has an option. Plus, the threshold jumps up to 189 million.

 

The following year, they lose well over 70 million in payroll between Lackey, Ortiz, Dempster, Gomes, Lester and Ross and others. 70 million! They'll be making a run for Felix.

[Bellhorn04]

Latest figures have the 2013 payroll for tax purposes at 165 million, not including the additional 8 million Napoli will earn if his hip conditiion doesn't put him out of action.

 

Lester is under control through 2014. (Team option for 2014 at 13 million.)

 

Pedroia is under control through 2015. (Team option for 2015 at 11 million.)

 

The really good news - Buchholz is under control through 2017 (Team options for 2016 and 2017 at a total of 26.5 million.)