There was a little confusion about my $65 million number in my last article. The Cubs have a $65 million payroll next year, but it doesn’t (at first glance) appear that way. I assure you it is.
Major League Contracts
Starlin Castro: $6M
Anthony Rizzo: $5M
Edwin Jackson: $11M
Ryan Sweeney: $1.5M
Kyuji Fujikawa: $500K (we will decline his $5M team option)
Total: $24M
These are the only 5 guaranteed contracts on the books for the Cubs. That’s pretty cool.
Arb-3 guys (made 60% of “fair market value”, now make 80%)
James McDonald: non-tendered
Wesley Wright: $1.71M * 4/3 ~ $2.5 M
John Baker: non-tendered
Total: $2.5 M (running total: $26.5 M, 6 of 40 men on roster)
Arb-2 guys (made 40% of “fair market value”, now make 60%)
Travis Wood: $3.9 * 3/2 ~ $5.5 M (slightly depressed)
Justin Ruggiano: $2M * 3/2 ~ $3 M (non-tender candidate to be sure. i am slightly conservative on non-tenders in this exercise.)
Luis Valbuena: $1.71M * 3/2 ~ $3 M (raise above/beyond)
Total: $11.5 M (running total: $38 M, 9 of 40 men on roster)
Arb-1 guys (made $500K last year, now make 40% of “fair market value” [my discretion])
Felix Doubront: $1.5M (comparable: Pedro Strop, $1.32M)
Ryan Kalish: non-tender
Welington Castillo: $2.5M (40%, roughly, of $6M AAV)
Jake Arrieta: $4M (comparable: Travis Wood, $3.9M)
Total: $8M (running total: $46M, 12 of 40 men on roster)
Pre-Arb guys ($600k each)
Hector Rondon
Justin Grimm
Dan Straily
Junior Lake (non-tender candidate)
Mike Olt
Total: $3M (running total: $49 M, 17 of 40 men on roster)
Team Options
Justin Turner: $1M (running total: $50 M, 18 of 40 men on roster)
21 league minimum guys ($500 K each)
Total: $10.5M (running total: $60.5M, 39 of 40 men on roster)
Special arbitration case:
Chris Coghlan: $2M (reported as Arb-2 eligible with a roughly $1M arb award last year)
Total: $2M (running total: $62.5M, 40 of 40 men on roster)
Outstanding commitments
Jose Veras: $150K
Gerardo Concepcion: $1.2M
Jorge Soler: $2M
Total: $3.35M (running total: $65.85M, 40 of 40 men on roster)
So there you have it. Right around $65-66 million dollars. If you aggressively non-tender, you can get that down to maybe $60M.