Updated tax numbers per Cot's and Spotrac.
The big difference is in the projected cost for minimum wage major league contracts. Spotrac's number is for 20 players @ 585,000. Cot's is only for 10 players @ 575,000. But Spotrac also projects a higher number for minor league players.
It's all a bit baffling, even to a budgie.
Cot's Spotrac Difference
1 Price, D 31,000,000 31,000,000 0
2 Sale, C 25,600,000 25,666,666 66,666
3 Betts, M 27,500,000 27,700,000 200,000
4 Martinez, JD 22,000,000 23,750,000 1,750,000
5 Bogaerts, X 20,000,000 20,000,000 0
6 Eovaldi, N 17,000,000 17,000,000 0
7 Pedroia, D 13,750,000 13,750,000 0
8 Bradley, J 11,500,000 11,000,000 -500,000
9 Rodriguez, E 9,000,000 9,500,000 500,000
10 Perez, M 6,000,000 6,000,000 0
11 Benintendi, A 4,250,000 4,900,000 650,000
12 Vazquez, C 4,516,667 4,516,667 0
13 Workman, B 3,250,000 3,400,000 150,000
14 Barnes, M 3,000,000 3,000,000 0
15 Peraza, J 3,000,000 3,000,000 0
16 Hembree, H 1,500,000 1,600,000 100,000
17 Osich, J 850,000 850,000 0
18 Hernandez, M 650,000 650,000 0
0-to 3-yr players 5,750,000 11,670,000 5,920,000
40-man-minors 2,250,000 2,500,000 250,000
Est Benefits 15,000,000 15,000,000 0
Projected Payroll 227,366,667 236,453,333 9,086,666