The Royals $57.4M payroll is actually $67.5M

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 1:13 PM EDT

Bob Dutton wrote a really bad and deceptive article about the Royals 2008 payroll today. He reports the Royals “opening day payroll” at $57.4 million. He did add some detail later on in the article that this is just the payroll for the initial 25-man roster and that the Royals owe some other players guaranteed money. But it does leave the impression that the Royals payroll for 2008 is $57.4 million, and that simply is not the truth.

While the Royals are spending about that amount on the initial 25-man roster, they are also on the hook for more than $10 million on other guaranteed contracts for a total of $67.5 million. Here are the details:

1B	Butler	0.399
2B	Grudz	4.5
3B	Gordon	0.406
SS	Pena	0.405
LF	Guillen	12
CF	DeJesus	2.5
RF	Teahen	2.3375
C	Buck	2.2
DH	Gload	1.3
BN-UO	Gathright	0.427
BN-UI	German	1
BN-UI	Callaspo	0.394
BN-C	Olivo	2.1
SP	Meche	11
SP	Bannister	0.421
SP	Greinke	1.4
SP	Bale	2.2
SP	Tomko	3
RP	Soria	0.4265
RP	Peralta	0.45
RP	Gobble	1.3125
RP	Nunez	0.405
RP	Yabuta	2.5
RP	Mahay	4
RP	Ramirez	0.397
	Subtotal	57.4

	Berroa	5.25
	De La Rosa	1.025
	Duckworth	0.6
	Hudson	0.475
	Smith	0.6
	Hochevar	2.075
	TOTAL	67.5

Long story short, the Royals 2008 major league payroll is $67.5 million. If De La Rosa is traded or claimed off of waivers, this will decrease by a million.

The real good news is that the the Royals have a lot of money coming off the books after this season. Players whose contracts expire who will likely not be re-signed:

Grudz	4.5
Olivo	2.1
Tomko	3
Berroa	5.25
De La Rosa	1.025
Duckworth	0.6
Hudson	0.475
Smith	0.6
TOTAL	17.55

Couple that with an increased payroll due to revenue increases from the new TV deal, higher attendance and the money the Royals get from MLB, that all adds up to the Royals making another big splash in the free agent market next year.

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Comments

YAY!

Thanks for this breakdown, NYRoyal. I appreciate your effort, and thoughts to explain this to the rest of us.

Finally coming back to the 'K'!!!! I'm going to be there 7/11/08, vs the SEA Mariners, of course!

by RoyalsFanInMarinerTown on Mar 30, 2008 1:26 PM EDT reply actions

My stomache starts bleeding

every time I see that salary wasted on Berroa.

Let's Go Blues!

by powderbluesfor08 on Mar 30, 2008 1:31 PM EDT reply actions

pretty surprising that dutton missed that

by Freneau on Mar 30, 2008 1:39 PM EDT reply actions

I like Dutton,

but I have noticed his articles do not hold ownership accountable for taking profit over investment. The KC Star may not like him going after Glass. Or maybe he just is making sure he stays on the team's good side. After all, we all know Glass is not above banning reporters from covering the Royals when they do not play nice with him.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Mar 30, 2008 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

He follows the company line

Like it or not (and I don't), MLB beat writers aren't investigative journalists. They pretty much report the facts in a way that the team is comfortable with. The Royals, for whatever reason, put it out there that the payroll is $57.4M, so he dutifully reports that. He adds in other important facts, but he doesn't bury the lead the Royals want him to go with.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions

I could be.....

strategy of some sort. Kenny Williams probably believes it. How many baseball execs take some of this information differently? I think Baseball PR is much like company PR ---- They present different information in different ways just to create some sort of brand perception. Perhaps KC wants to keep a lower profile in terms of salary.

I don't know --- You always think some of these GM's are so boneheaded, but how the hell do they keep their jobs if someone doesn't believe in them?

The Chiefs are very closed about their contracts, yes?

Finally coming back to the 'K'!!!! I'm going to be there 7/11/08, vs the SEA Mariners, of course!

by RoyalsFanInMarinerTown on Mar 30, 2008 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions

I find it to be odd PR

I don't know why the Royals would want people to think that they have a lower payroll than they actually do. They may well be doing this, but I don't see why. They want free agents to think that they are willing to spend. Moore and Glass did a big sales job on Torii Hunter, convincing him that they were doing to spend a lot on the team. I'm sure they'd like every FA out there to think the Royals are willing to spend to contend. So why make it look like the Royals have a payroll at or near the bottom 15% in MLB when it is actually more than a little higher than that?

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 6:27 PM EDT up reply actions

It doesn't help lure free agents, but...

it does make the front office look good if the Royals win with a small payroll. Perhaps there is a whopping ego beneath that flattop/high fade/marine haircut? That's a pessimistic stance and I don't really buy it, but it could be the reasoning behind the company line.

by stuckinstl12 on Mar 31, 2008 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

I few more points

I believe I have this right. I do not know if the Royals will simply release De la Rosa, but if they do I think they save a good portion of his salary. I think this works if a player is in a one year contract and is released before opening day the team only remains responsible for part of his salary. If the Royals keep De la Rosa in the organization they will have to pay him. I think I have this right. I think this is why the Blue Jays released Reed Johnson. It was why the Reds released Luke Hudson a few years back also I believe.

I do hate that the Royals will come into 2008 with a payroll this small. The Royals could afford a payroll more around $80M this year. Maybe this opens the possibility for the team to acquire some players on "salary dump" trades. Guys like Coco Crisp, Jason Marquis, Chad Bradford, Richie Sexson and Vicente Padilla. These players can probably be had for low rates as long as the Royals take most of their salary. Not that any of them are great players, but I would be happy to see any of them come on board if the only cost to the Royals was a skimming off the top of Glass' enormous pile of money.

The best way to spend the extra money is on the draft and in international scouting and signings, but I doubt Glass will actually throw a bunch more money into either of these areas. From what I have seen so far, it just is not in his nature to invest in the future in ways that do not generate immediate publicity, such as signing high 1st round draft picks.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Mar 30, 2008 1:40 PM EDT reply actions

Yes, that is true

If you release a player before a certain date, under some circumstances, you don't have to pay all of his salary. I'm not sure who all this applies to. It must be for arbitration eligible players, or one-year contracts or something like that. It doesn't apply to guys like Berroa or he'd have been gone by now. But yes, if they release him, I think they get a partial discount.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Draft and international scouting

I've read multiple sources (including Rany), saying that since Moore came, the Royals have spent much more money on player development, including a lot more money on player acquisition and development in Latin America and of course the addition of another minor league team. And they went over slot on a few late round guys who were set to go to college.

Now, they should spend more on the draft and international player development, but they are going in the right direction.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions

I saw the Royals were ranked something like 10th in

signing bonuses and international scouting last year, which was a large advance over where they had been in recent yeas. It seems like this would be a good place to park a bunch of that left over $10-15M the Royals have available still. The minor league system could certainly use the investments.

Rock Chalk Talk for pretty good KU baseball coverage

by James Quinn on Mar 30, 2008 8:31 PM EDT up reply actions

10th is good progress

Hopefully they will keep moving up that list.

I probably disagree with you.

by Scott McKinney on Mar 30, 2008 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions

Can we just save time and give

Tomahawk his money and drop him now.

Be loyal, Be Brave, Be Free.

by hardyguy on Mar 30, 2008 5:30 PM EDT reply actions

Berroa...

eating up almost 8% of the entire Royals' major league salary. I hope he's happy getting paid so much by doing nothing. I would love 5 million dollars.

by mazoboom on Mar 30, 2008 7:23 PM EDT reply actions