:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63324779/1138932613.jpg.0.jpg)
The Royals began the season with an Opening Day payroll of $100 million, according to numbers from Sportrac. That number is a significant decline of 19 percent over last year’s figure, when the team fielded a $123 million payroll. Those numbers include players on the active roster and on the injured list, such as Salvador Perez, who is out for the entire year with an elbow injury. The Royals have insurance to cover an undisclosed amount of Perez’s salary this year. Performance incentives are not included in these figures.
The numbers do not count Eric Skoglund, who is suspended 80 games without pay for violating the league’s banned substances policy. Also not included is what the Royals would have owed Yordano Ventura under his $23 million contract. Ventura was owed $9.75 million in 2019 under the terms of his deal, but his estate has not been paid the full amount.
Royals’ 2019 Opening Day payroll
| Player | 2019 Salary | 2020 Salary | 2021 Salary | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | 2019 Salary | 2020 Salary | 2021 Salary | Notes |
| Alex Gordon | $20,000,000 | $4,000,000 | Free agent | $20M club option in 2020 |
| Ian Kennedy | $16,500,000 | $16,500,000 | Free agent | |
| Danny Duffy | $15,250,000 | $15,250,000 | $15,500,000 | |
| Salvador Perez | $11,200,000 | $14,200,000 | $14,200,000 | |
| Jorge Soler | $4,666,667 | $4,666,667 | Arbitration | |
| Billy Hamilton | $4,250,000 | $1,000,000 | Free agent | $7.5M mutual option in 2020 |
| Chris Owings | $3,000,000 | Free agent | ||
| Martin Maldonado | $2,500,000 | Free agent | ||
| Jake Diekman | $2,250,000 | $500,000 | Free agent | $5.75M mutual option in 2020 |
| Wily Peralta | $2,250,000 | $1,000,000 | Free agent | $7M mutual option in 2020 |
| Brad Boxberger | $2,200,000 | Free agent | ||
| Lucas Duda | $1,250,000 | Free agent | ||
| Whit Merrifield | $1,000,000 | $5,000,000 | $6,750,000 | |
| Brian Flynn | $800,000 | Arbitration | Arbitration | |
| Jesse Hahn | $800,000 | Arbitration | Arbitration | |
| Scott Barlow | $650,000 | |||
| Terrance Gore | $650,000 | |||
| Jakob Junis | $578,200 | Arbitration | ||
| Kevin McCarthy | $578,200 | |||
| Brad Keller | $578,125 | Arbitration | ||
| Adalberto Mondesi | $576,000 | Arbitration | ||
| Tim Hill | $573,175 | |||
| Hunter Dozier | $567,225 | |||
| Jorge Lopez | $562,250 | |||
| Ryan O'Hearn | $557,650 | |||
| Cam Gallagher | $557,125 | |||
| Trevor Oaks | $555,350 | |||
| Chris Ellis | $555,000 | |||
| Frank Schwindel | $555,000 | |||
| Kyle Zimmer | $555,000 | |||
| Deferred Salaries | 2019 Salary | 2020 Salary | 2021 Salary | Notes |
| Jason Hammel | $2,000,000 | |||
| Travis Wood | $1,500,000 | |||
| Wily Peralta | $25,000 | |||
| $100,089,967 | $62,116,667 | $36,450,000 |
Sources: Sportrac and Cot’s Contracts.
The Royals still owe $2 million on the buyout for Jason Hammel’s declined mutual option for this year. Sportrac lists Travis Wood’s 2019 buyout on the Royals’ payroll, although the Padres may be actually picking up the tab, with the Royals having already sent $8 million to the club upon the trade of Wood back in 2017. Much of the drop in payroll this year is due to the departure of veterans from last year’s club such as Hammel, Kelvin Herrera, Mike Moustakas, Jon Jay, and Alcides Escobar. The Royals did add $15.45 million in payroll this year to add six free agents - Billy Hamilton, Chris Owings, Martin Maldonado, Jake Diekman, Brad Boxberger, and Lucas Duda.
The Royals have said in the past that their “break-even point” for payroll is $115 million, but that is with an assumption of drawing 2 million fans in attendance. Last year, the Royals drew 1.66 million fans to watch a 58-104 team.
According to figures from Sportrac, the Royals are 23rd in the league in player payroll, spending more than the Padres, Athletics, White Sox, Pirates, Orioles, Marlins, and Rays. The Boston Red Sox have the highest payroll in baseball at $225 million, followed by the Cubs, Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants.
Overall, MLB payrolls are down 2.3 percent over last year’s Opening Day payrolls, with an average of $133.6 million. It is the second consecutive year payrolls have dropped.