First the contract guys:
Dempster-$12.5 million
Grabow-$2.7 million
Lilly-$12 million
Samardzija-$2.5 million
Silva-$11.5 million
Zambrano-$17.875 million
Lee-$13 million
Ramirez-$15.75 million
Byrd-$3 million
Fukudome-$13 million
Nady-$3.3 million
Soriano-$18 million
That totals $125.125 million already.
The arbitration eligible bunch:
Mike Fontenot-$1 million
Jeff Baker-$975,000
Angel Guzman-$825,000
Tom Gorzelanny-$800,000
Koyie Hill-$700,000
Ryan Theriot-$2.6 million
Carlos Marmol-$2.125 million
Sean Marshall-$950,000
That pushed up to: $135.1 million
Ok...before we get to the rest of the kids with little service time, let's do a little bit of house cleaning.
First, the Cubs owe Luis Viscaino and Aaron Miles a total of $1.5 million this season.
Also, we get $5.5 million from the Mariners this season for Carlos Silva.
So that takes $4 million off that payroll number...
We are at $131.1 million.
Ok...the rest of the players...
Soto
Hoffpauir
Wells
Fuld
Adduci
Atkins
Blanco
Caridad
Castillo
Colvin
Dolis
Gaub
Gray
Mateo
Parisi
Parker
Patton
Stevens
Berg
Most of these players will make at or just above the league minimum. Let's just say, for kicks and giggles, that they average about $475,000 each. That is $9.025 million.
That takes us to just over $140 million. Based on reports, the Cubs are aiming for a payroll of between $140 and $145 million this season.
At the low end, the Cubs are done. At the high end, they might have room for one more player. If Millar or Tracy actually make the team, you could add another million on to the payroll number.
Let's compare what the Cubs are paying for this coming season to what they paid last year.
Based on last year's opening day roster, the Cubs had a payroll of $134,809,000. That's what they paid the players on the 25 man roster.
This year, let's go by the players we might assume will be on the team come April 5th...
Ramirez, Lee, Theriot, Fontenot, Baker, Byrd, Soriano, Nady, Fukudome, Fuld, Blanco, Soto, Hill, Z, Dempster, Lilly, Wells, Samardzija, Marmol, Grabow, Gorzelanny, Marshall, Silva, Parisi, and Gray.
The last three in the bullpen really don't make much of a difference as they are inter-changable with a number of other players. So those 25 players have salaries that add up to about $133.5 million.
That is no increase over last season...You can add $.5 million to the payroll if Millar or Tracy make the roster instead of Blanco.
I'm not sure if that number from last year includes any payments the Cubs had to make to any players traded to other teams before that season...(This is the first time I've ever kept track).
If the payroll is going to be allowed to increase a bit, then the Cubs should have a few million to spend on another relief pitcher. A $5 million increase is about 4% of the payroll. That puts us at $138 and $145 for the forty man roster.
It would be nice to see the Cubs try to repair that bullpen...if they claim to be increasing the payroll even a little bit, then they have the money to do it.
They did promise payroll would increase a bit, right? RIGHT?
So make it so. Fix the bullpen.
Who should they go after? That's tomorrow's story.
