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2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 9:49 pm
by Fat Strat
It's getting easier to do these things, with the media resources available. Here's my projected payroll for the 2008 Cardinals...

Image

A couple notes.

1. This isn't intended to predict the 2008 payroll or roster. It's strictly a projected payroll based on the salaries owed to players who are either guaranteed a roster spot or likely to be on the roster. (i.e. Springer, despite the liklihood that he'll be resigned, is not included at this point.)

2. Salaries in italics are estimated (usually a little high) until we get salary assignment figures for those players.

3. Ankiel, Maroth, and Miles are both arb eligible (I believe), so I gave them salaries that are reflective of possible arb amounts.

4. We will be able to cut some payroll by DFA'ing players that are arb eligible, including Maroth.

Player notes:

* Taguchi has a very reasonable buyout ($100k or so) that I think should be taken.
* Gary Bennett can opt out of his option if he wants.
* There are more players that will be called up, but that's part of normal operating costs. There's no way to project that right now.




The PostDispatch stated recently that the club was looking at a $105 or more payroll. By my math, that gives us $10-$12 million to spend, with obvious holes at SP and SS.

Imo, we're going to have to either move some salary or significantly raise payroll to make any substantial improvements to this club. It's much bleaker than last year when I felt like we had plenty of salary room and didn't raise payroll.

Take this for what it is... a projection. I will update it as significant moves are made and the roster becomes clearer.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 10:00 pm
by Radbird
Fat Strat wrote:Imo, we're going to have to either move some salary or significantly raise payroll to make any substantial improvements to this club.
I assume mean beyond the reported $105M. What do you think the payroll number would need to be raised to in order to make "substantial improvements"?

(BTW, nice work, Fat. This will be an interesting thread to follow during the dark days of the offseason.)

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 10:03 pm
by Mojowo11
Fantastic thread. Nothing makes everything seem crystal clear quite like a spreadsheet.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 10:15 pm
by dangerous
Juan makes how much? :rant:

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 10:22 pm
by a_smith
Nice work

Something that could be factored in is the insurence money. I
Do we get an insurence money if Juan and Carp and Mulder are out for the year? If so that could free up $20 million or so.
Obviously you cannot really factor it in now because we dont know if the player will be out, but it is interesting to know if we could even get the money.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 11:28 pm
by Leeyat
Isn't Izzy a FA in 2008?

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 11:30 pm
by Bo Hart
Leeyat wrote:Isn't Izzy a FA in 2008?
He has a team option that will almost positively be picked up.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: September 30 07, 11:33 pm
by Colbert Rasmols
Leeyat wrote:Isn't Izzy a FA in 2008?
He has a club option, which I'm not so sure we shouldn't decline. If Percival would re-sign for several million less, that is.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: October 1 07, 6:01 am
by Hungary Jack
I don't think we'll pick up So's option for $1.1M, though stranger things have happened.

Pineiro has a mutual option for $4M. He can probably do better, but it would not surprise me to see him sign here for $5M or so.

Re: 2008 Payroll Thread

Posted: October 1 07, 6:41 am
by haltz
I've become less concerned with payroll, thanks to Greenback, but I did make an Excel sheet that also includes obligations until 2011. If I get around to updating it, I'll post it here.

Mulder's contract is pretty ambiguous on Cot's, but if his incentives for this year are straight prorated, then he made $560K this year which will be added to his 2008 base. If it's tiered or something then who knows.

Bennett has a buyout of $50K that you'd think the Cardinals would exercise. I can't imagine that after his .252/.286/.335 campaign (which is right at his career OPS+ of 64) that teams will be clamoring to pay him more than a million dollars for his age 37 season.