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White Sox payroll about $30 million less than 2011

By Daryl Van Schouwen on March 4, 2012 10:54 AM

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The White Sox payroll is expected to sit at about $97 million this season, about $30 million less than 2011 thanks to the shedding of contracts for Mark Buehrle, Juan Pierre, Carlos Quentin, Edwin Jackson and Jason Frasor.

 

John Danks, who signed a $65 million extension during the offseason, will be paid only $2 million of that in salary this season.

 

The Sox announced Sunday that they have agreed to terms on contracts with 24 players, including second baseman Gordon Beckham, starting pitchers Chris Sale and Philip Humber, De Aza, Morel, utility man Brent Lillibridge and catcher Tyler Flowers. Humber ($530,000), Beckham ($520,000), Sale and Lillibridge ($500,000 each) signed above the minimum $480,000.

 

Sox payroll was slightly less than $128 million last season.

 

The team is committed to a total of $91.75 million for 13 players in 2012: Jake Peavy ($17 million), Adam Dunn ($14M), Alex Rios ($12.5M), Paul Konerko ($12M), Gavin Floyd ($7M), A.J. Pierzynski ($6M), Matt Thornton ($5.5M), Alexei Ramirez ($5M), Jesse Crain ($4.5M), Dayan Viciedo ($3.25M), Will Ohman ($2.5M), John Danks ($2M) and Kosuke Fukudome ($500,000). Danks' and Viciedo's signing bonuses raise the paid-out payroll above $100 million. Danks' bonus is spread out between June and October.

 

Also signed: infielders Eduardo Escobar, Ozzie Martinez and pitchers Addison Reed, Zach Stewart, Dylan Axelrod, Anthony Carter, Simon Castro, Deunte Heath, Pedro Hernandez, Gregory Infante, Nate Jones, Charlie Leesman, Jhan Marinez, Nestor Molina, Hector Santiago, Jose Quintana and Donnie Veal.

 

The 40-man roster is under contract. Most signings for players under control are formalities.

 

The major-league minimum salary climbed from $414,000 in 2011 to $480,000 in 2012.

It's crazy how little talent can be packed into $97 million.

It's crazy how little talent can be packed into $97 million.

 

After seeing the mets and cubs of the last few years, not really.

It's crazy how little talent can be packed into $97 million.

 

The flip-side is how much talent might be packed in about 5 million of that.

$43.5 million to the most questionable performers, really makes me wonder if those acquisitions were more Reinsdorf than Williams. And that is why Williams is still here.

$43.5 million to the most questionable performers, really makes me wonder if those acquisitions were more Reinsdorf than Williams. And that is why Williams is still here.

That's an interesting thought.

After seeing the mets and cubs of the last few years, not really.

touche

The flip-side is how much talent might be packed in about 5 million of that.

Good point there. If you look at the amount of money tied up by Peavy (health question mark), Rios (attitude and performance question mark), and Dunn (performance question mark), you realize how handcuffed this team is. Damn, I sound like greg. But, if each of those guys perform moderately well, it'll make a big difference in the team's overall performance.

I look at our top 3 salaries and it makes me want to cry

I look at our top 3 salaries and it makes me want to cry

at least peavy is off the books after this year ...

Has any team ever dropped $30 million from their payroll in one offseason and made the playoffs?

Has any team ever dropped $30 million from their payroll in one offseason and made the playoffs?

 

Tampa did it last year.

Tampa did it last year.

That was a pretty sweet roster for $41 million last year.

Has any team ever dropped $30 million from their payroll in one offseason and made the playoffs?

 

And we got a second Wild Card spot too! Joy.........

So has anyone gone back and looked at the standings on who would have made the playoffs under this year's system last year?

 

Just curious...

 

 

It does seem to work quite well in the NFL.

 

NBA or NHL, not sure about printing up t-shirts or anything like that, not when half the teams make it.

 

Still, roughly only 33% of the teams in baseball making the playoffs makes it a bigger accomplishment than in any of the other 3 major sports...

So has anyone gone back and looked at the standings on who would have made the playoffs under this year's system last year?

 

Just curious...

Clearly, Boston and Atlanta.

Clearly, Boston and Atlanta.

 

That's right... so they would have played Tampa (Boston) for one game?

 

And in the NL Atlanta would have played St. Louis for one game?

97 million?

Cheapskates.

 

The Sox are bound to make a sizeable profit this season if the team finishes five below or five above .500 wouldn't you say?

They should at least have made a strong push for Cespedes (sp).

97 million?

Cheapskates.

 

The Sox are bound to make a sizeable profit this season if the team finishes five below or five above .500 wouldn't you say?

They should at least have made a strong push for Cespedes (sp).

 

 

Cespedes probably isn't going to be ready until at least July or August.

 

Just watch what happens if Oakland pushes him into the starting line-up for Opening Day.

 

And it would have been a shame to deny DeAza the starting job after how hard he's fought to get back after all the injuries he's suffered. That's not the MAIN reason we didn't acquire Cespedes, but it had to be at least 20% of it, along with the fact we already had another free-swinging Latin hitter in Viciedo at one of the corner spots.

 

If Cespedes was a true CFer and leadoff hitter, it would have been a lot more logical/sensible, but not at those prices.

 

 

 

 

If only they printed standings in the business section of the newspaper.

97 million?

Cheapskates.

 

The Sox are bound to make a sizeable profit this season if the team finishes five below or five above .500 wouldn't you say?

They should at least have made a strong push for Cespedes (sp).

Spending close to $130 million didn't work out too well. I'm okay with the lower payroll, especially considering the team. As someone else mentioned, there's a nice chunk of potential talent wrapped up in a mere $5 million of that. Peavy is off the books next season, and KW could still make a creative move or two if things go sour during the first half of the season. I feel better about the future of the team now than I have in a long time. And if the Sox make a sizeable profit this season, good for them. Let's hope if that happens they spend some cash and start building a championship caliber team.

97 million?

Cheapskates.

 

The Sox are bound to make a sizeable profit this season if the team finishes five below or five above .500 wouldn't you say?

They should at least have made a strong push for Cespedes (sp).

 

I'm waiting to see this years Forbes numbers to see what the attendance impact and recession did to the bottom line, and also what the numbers of people going to the ballpark this year look like.

By my count, the Sox will be at 103 mil.